lake powell

So that Olan Rogers video two posts ago...I knew this was going to happen. I was supposed to blog all about my Lake Powell trip my grandparents, parents, Ash, and I took mid-Nov. But we all know how that turned out haha. Basically, it was more than just a blast, it was a pure gift. To be able to spend that time with them -- genius. Even if there were demon duck-birds, Dad and I almost fell overboard, and the weather was rainy and collllld. It made for some great memories.

 


When we docked at Warm Creek Bay the second night, Ashley and I noticed a few mudducks in the water. Their murky color and way they swivel their long neck forward and around as they run are what make them seem so possessed. It really was creepy. Anyway, I filmed Ash doing one of the Olan Roger things..."What is that!? What is thaaat?!" Like he did in the dare on dare. It became our 'thing' for a while.

Ashley is so cute! And I'm grateful for 4 days in a boat on a barren, cold lake to spend some cramming quality time together haha. Seriously, the day we pulled the boat back into the dock to go home...the sun came out. The sun had not come out even since til that point. Not cool bro, not cool. However, because of it the rain we did get to see some pretty cool waterfalls along some of the canyon which aren't usually there. I actually liked the adventure of the weather. It made the hot chocolate, steaming breakfast, and cuddly nights much cozier.

Next time, grandpa, let's do summer and swim! Now that we're pro. :)

fall family pictures

We took family pictures!!! oh how we have changed. it's disgusting. :p I mean, look.

April 16, 2008
Picture before Matthew's mission

 We were so simple, and so happy. Ahh.
Now we have grown in numbers, height, and treasures.



November 16, 2013
Picture before Ashley and my own mission

And somehow the Lord keeps blessing us with more...

Ashley showed one of our new family pictures to emma, and pointed to each person asking who they were. Emma's answer was pretty close. As Ashley pointed to each person, she listed:

Amy - mama
Jay - papa
Grandpa - papa
Grandma - mama
Matthew - Ash
Ashley - Ash
Tiffany - Ash (with further prompting she can sometimes get Ish, which is close enough to Tiff in my opinion)
Benjamin - Ash

"Aaaaaaaassshhhhh." that's her call for company. then she'll grab a finger and pull us to her room or hallway to play. I love when she tilts her head back a little and shows all her itty bitty teeth as she calls up to "Ash." hehehe oh emma :)

 

 

 

 

I like this picture because of what it represents.
We are individuals, we are imperfect, but we are happy.



P.S I was totally listening to this song while I wrote this. My, my! Time flies! ...Now doesn't it?

Olan Rogers: dare on dare 9

I need you to watch this for something I will be posting about later on...



Unless I end up spacing it and not mentioning it later on. In that case, simply enjoy. :)

to my death

 

Can you imagine that feeling? What Harry must have felt: confused, alone, doubtful...As he walked along the cold, dark path leading to his own death. And Voldemort.

 

This image was playing through my mind as I walked down Tenaya towards Lake Mead. No one could take me that afternoon, but I had already set the appointment to get my hair cut.

 

It's just a haircut, right? Wrong. I was going big time this time. My hair has never been shorter than my shoulders, but for some reason, I really really wanted a bob.

 

And the persistent idea of having a bob was nagging at me. I. don't. know. why.

Maybe it's because last time I got my hair layered very recently, I was toying with the idea and took a couple pictures with the rest of my hair tied back to try it out and see if it'd be cute.

 

 

I don't know. I liked the thought of trying it. Then, on my mom's birthday, I was looking through some pictures of my young mom in her 20's. I saw a little bit of myself in her. And she experimented with all sorts of short hair...and she looked cute! That amplified the desire to just tryyy it.

 

Nag nag nag it did. Nag how? Every time I looked in the mirror, at a picture, or imagined myself on the mission in Ecuador, all I could picture on myself was with my hair as a bob. It was a strange impulse. And persisted for like a month before Wednesday at 4:30pm. The appointment.

 

I felt very much like Harry Potter at this moment before the point of no return. I even made a couple phone calls on the way..."Amy, what do you think..? Do you think I can do this..?" "Ashley, are you suuuure you think it'd be okay? Isn't it a bad idea since it's right before I leave?"

It's true, hair does grow back. And if it turns out horrendous I probably deserved it. But all the opinions that I cared about thought that it would look good. "Because you have a heart-shaped face and long neck..." My lanza I hoped so.

 

The lady's name was Ashley. Okay okay, that's good. That's my beautiful little sister's name. I can deal. The place was called Canyon Falls...an especially special salon place recommended to me by my older sister Aimster. So that's another plus.

 

She gave me a niiice scalp shampoo massage thing to start. Good, good. Then I explained what I was looking for. The bob, but keep it kinda long in front still. I want it easy to manage, and voluminous. Please grant me my wish.

 

It took an hour and a half to cut and style. Then, I panicked. I was trying to be patient and wait til Ashley was done styling it, but I looked terrible. It looked like someone put a corn husk on my head. I looked like Willy Wonka --- the Johnny Depp one!!! I had somewhere to be soon, and Ashley had two little guests of hers waiting for her to get done. So...I panicked...with time, with diminishing hair, and diminishing faith in my idea that it would turn out fine.

 

I asked Ashley to snip a little more in back. It was taking forever!! I panicked big time. At 6:45, 2.5 hrs after we started this process, I pretty much told her 'nevermind' and to finish wherever she was at and I would just deal with it. (but said nicely).

 

Then I darted out because I had somewhere to be at 7!! My cooworkers were having a last Bon Voyage dinner at Lucille's BBQ for me. They even called it La Fiesta de Despedida. I had to be there!

 

My hair air-dried. My coworker friends pointed out that it made me look younger, but some said it made me look more mature, and one said it made me look exotic...I felt temporary relief at the good comments. But ever since then, I've been threading my fingers through my hair only to feel the stubby ends terminate too soon. I don't know if I can do this.

 

But I guess it's too late. I hope I find a cute way or two to style it. Otherwise, people in Ecuador are going to think I'm some weird corn husk head lady who owns a chocolate factory.

 

 

 

A little longer and I think I'll like it better.

Grow hair! Grow!!!

But, I still don't regret it. It was the only solution to my nagging notion -- it's an experiment. Just had to try.

thank heavens she's short

Thunk. the door closed behind the nice lady who was gathering information for our visit. last time they weren't so nice. I like this lady a lot better than the last one.

We waited in our little secluded room. Time for the doctor.  With an HIV test and letter of good health, I'll be ready to apply for that Ecuadorian visa. Good thing Ashley didn't have to do all this...her visa application was easy. No notaries, no background check, no physician's letter...lucky girl.

I rustled through the papers on my lap, quadruple checking that I had all the information I needed. We could hear the chatter of the desk clerks and physicians at the central desk beyond the door. I looked around the office. Dusty. We waited some more.

Then, like I'm obliged to do in any situation like this, I burst into song.

"I hooooope they call me on a misssshuuuuun."
Pause, look over at mom. she whispers over to me a typical sshhhh. I go on, just a little less obnoxiously.
"When Iiiii have grown a foot or twwwoooo."

Then mom, with an expression of realization, looks up and remarks, "That's why I never went on a mission!"

I looked over at her, puzzled. She threw her arms down to her side like a little kid and finished, "..it's because I never grew that foot or two!"

Hahaha I love my mom :)

she's mormon, she gets it

I overheard this one case manager lady talking to a nurse today at work. didn't sound good, like the case manager lady's friend was in bad health and not doing so great.

Nurse lady said: Well, you know, it's all in God's control. He won't take away an hour or give us an hour more than He wants to.

Case manager lady: Believe me, we're all Christians here. Of all people, she gets it more than anyone. She's Mormon too (chuckle chuckle), but she -- she gets it.

I glanced over at her, trying to decide whether or not I should say something. gingerly, i flared my nose, lifted an eyebrow, and chuckled to myself at her absurdfulness...i'm pretty sure that's a word.

Does she know what she even said?! that's okay lady, I say tasteless things sometimes too.

Yes, we do 'get it'. & I hope one day you'll see why.

it's a hoodie kind of day

I spent the entire day in pjs and hoodie. brain wired, body tired. too long in the house gets me feeling that way, but I wanted to spend today at home. it's the LAST general conference I will have with my family...possibly ever. after this, ash leaves for her mission, matthew goes to school, tiffany leaves for her mission, and the world will never be the same. oh wait...:

So...mission papers are in baby! nice that you get that little insider :) i'll find out mid-octoberish.

Saturday sessions so far - success. I really enjoyed Uchtdorf's and Holland's talks, big surprise. Elder Holland's words fill me like soft, warm water in my souuul. very soothing somehow. He knows his stuff.

Here are some things I wrote down:

ED -> faith is always pointing toward the future
DAB -> petition for growth and we are blessed with His grace
DFU -> doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith
DTC -> "She was love personified"; be ready with an answer to any man, woman, or child who asketh you about the hope within you
SGN -> serve with enthusiasm. exclamation point. leave your shoes tattered
TJD -> opposition is not a flaw
JRH -> bearable, understandable, redemptive; if the bitter cup does not pass, drink it and be strong

-- knowing

I finally know what i want to do with my vida buena. and knowing is a good feeling.

gogettem!

These are my siblings.

 

 

And the one in the middle is going to Cuernavaca Mexico to serve the Lord for 18 months. She leaves December 18th, exactly one week before Christmas.

 

When she opened her call, I experienced a steady stream of excitement in my gut. the call didn't throw me. actually, I don't even remember my heart step over a beat, or my breathing change pace. all that changed was the image in my head of where'd she'd go. instead of mentally tossing around the regions of possibilities, the image in my mind was finally able to settle...on mexico.

 

Of all places! none of us anticipated that. I thought Spanish-speaking....but I was getting more of a Guatemala feel. that's what we get for completely dis-including mexico as a possibility :) haha

 

I'm just glad she will be able to speak Spanish fluently! what a huge blessing.

 

And influence lives through her gentle, soft-spoken, unshaken testimony and determination. she will bless so many and be blessed so substantially.

 

4 months! just enough time to let it sink in, and party it up!

 

Go ASH!!! : ))

my nap, their dinner

The weather has been great. Rain, warmth, clouds, rain.

I was so tired after work yesterday. i decided to relax the night away, so i went outside to enjoy the lovely skies for a bit. 

Blanket wrapped around me, book in hand, i went out.

Not too long later, i found myself curling up onto my side, laying on the little white bench outside the house. i took a nap. 

It was beautiful.

But something attacked me when i didn't expect it...well, i was sleeping...

This morning i had so many great plans. then i realized.....

Something ate my face. and my arm.

We were swollen, red, itchy.....

Stupid bugs.

my matamoscas

I got a new ring! my fake wedding ring that we discussed earlier this year...

BECAUSE OF THIS.

Doodoodoo doodoo. i'm humming. doo doo doo. and BAM, here it is

Only i'd move it down a couple fingers of course. thank you tia jenny for giving me stuff, including this ring!

My matamoscas! espero q me sirve...:)

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Here's some other stuff she gave me. the perks to visiting!! hehe;)

 These pictures were taken for my bloggy-poo. i was excited about my spoils so i wanted you to see some of them! cute huh!? yeah....good thing i've got a real-fake matamoscas now. i'm going to be needing it with this new style i got going on here. xp

lehi..doesn't know what hit em

I just got back from a trip to visit tia jenny.
She lives in lehi, utah.

This trip was filled with so many firsts! i was going to do a different kind of post, but as i thought about my trip i realized "nope. definitely need to do a 'firsts' post instead."

1) First time riding a greyhound

2) First time riding a horse (cross that off the bucketlist :D)

3) First time learning to skateboard [that's me in the middle]

4) First time calling 911

5) First time driving in utah

6) First time being the hair-dyer, not the hair-dying-watcher

 

It was a good time. lots can happen in 6 days!