Help. Shoes. I Need Them.

To Any and All Mall, Department Store, and Target Shoppers:

I need Tiffany Blue shoes. Heels. Not tall ones. Keep your eyes out for them and the minute you see something let me know. Yep.

Sunday Sunshine- The Post Christmas Edition

I just get a charge out of these Jesus in the Sky people. It happens quite often here in Orlando. Messages like, "Jesus+You= Smiley Face," "Jesus Loves You," "Jesus Saves," etc etc etc appear above the theme parks all afternoon. I can't help but giggle.

Anyway, time for Sunday Sunshine... I have SO much of it lately that I dunno if I'll remember... but here we go...

#1: Holiday pay is a beautiful thing. Overtime is a beautiful thing. Vacation pay is a beautiful thing. I need money so badly right now, and I am thankful that the means are slowly coming to me. The blessings of tithing are REAL!

#2: I don't have to pay rent this month! I am selling all of my furniture to Les, our landlord, so the room can stay furnished when I leave. BLESSINGS.

#3: Cheesy EFY songs from my high school days still make me feel good.

#4: Cookie dough. I did it again. Only this time I didn't even bake cookies. I love eating this stuff. Tomorrow my healthy eating and gym habits will resume (after a five day hiatus...), but gosh- cookie dough is divinity. Who cares if I could get sick from the raw eggs that my mom always reminds me about... ha.


#5: Chuck and I have spent a lot of time reflecting on the past year and a half the last few weeks. He heads to Utah to start a new job and basically a new life on Tuesday. I am so so happy about the time we have had here in Orlando. Life will be full of great memories of our time here.

Here we are being cheeseballs and reenacting a night, when we first met, after Sunday Night Gathering when we chatted for a few hours next to his truck.

#6: I love laughing and I've done lots of it the past few days. I got a great gag gift, and I've spend fun times with my roomies and friends here in Orlando. It's been lovely.

#7: I'm saying goodbye to my roomie Amy this week. Amy and I go back to the days of Guys and Dolls at BYU-Idaho when we dated guys who were best friends. How grateful I am for the time I have had to get to know her again at this point of our lives. She has been a great example, friend, and roommate. I will miss her. The "Amy Wing" of the house will never be the same.

#8: I'm thankful for the relief of having a reception center and a dress. I am able to relax... a little bit, until I head to Utah again in a week and a half for more planning.

#9: Time is going fast. This is both a blessing and something that I feel weird about. I really have no idea where this year went. I have a feeling this will become a trend in my life...

#10: My job is great. I know I have had my really difficult times at the stage- but gosh- I really am thankful for the hours, the pay, and the people.

#11: I love the smell of clean laundry. Sniffffffff.

#12: I am reading Twilight. Finally. I wasn't really into the first 150 or so pages... and when Edward saved Bella from the scary dudes in the little town while she and her friends were dress shopping, I rolled my eyes and put it down for days. I picked it back up a day ago and I'm now starting to get into it. I like it.

#13: Cinnamon Stride gum is hard to come by lately. Chuck found lots of it for me for Christmas! YAY!

#14: Yissa, I wore my PINK SHOES for the first time in months last night. Ah, memories.

#15: When I was home in Utah, I met Abi, my cousin Melissa's little girl. I love newborn babies!

#16: Christmas cards: I LOVE THEM. They make me terribly happy!

#17: We get a new roommate this week! I love new friends!

#18: I have a great adoration for THANK YOU cards. I love to buy them. I love to give them. I got some for Christmas. Yay!

#19: Have I mentioned that it's been about 85 degrees here the last week? Oh, sorry. :-)

#20: Papa John's cheesesticks are yummy yummy.

#21: I'm excited for all the new things coming. I always know when it's time to "move on" and begin a new phase of life... and this time it's really obvious. :-) Chuck is starting his new job, I'll move back to Utah mid-February, and then in March- I'll get married. Weird! Fun!

Yippee!

And now I need an opinion: My dear and wonderful Andrea is throwing a shower for me here in Orlando. I have lots of friends and coworkers that I am excited to invite. HOWEVER- there's NO WAY I can get presents from a shower home to Utah. I dunno if I'll even be able to fit all the stuff I already have in my car! Anyway, I am wondering if it would be tacky to request, "Since Amy will be taking a cross country trip," an all GIFT CARD shower here in Orlando. I need opinions... it's kind of the only option I can see working....

Catching Up...

So obviously it's been a long time since I did an update. Lots has happened in the past two weeks... let me give you the brief version:


Aaron Curtis visited with his wife and kids from Texas. Hadn't seen him in like four years. Awesome. Ah memories of Ricks College and being 19...


SURPRISE!!! On December 17 (a bad day for flying in my family, but I still did it...) I showed up at the SLC airport- much to the surprise of my mommy. Elizabeth and I had been plotting for about two months for this trip home. She took my mom to A Christmas Carol at Hale that night, and then told her that they needed to pick up Ron- Elizabeth's father-in-law - at the airport. As they drove past passenger pickup I watched as my mom did a double take and then jumped out of the car and said, "WHAT?!? We weren't looking for Ron! Let me see your ring!" It was BY FAR the most amazing and wonderful surprise I have ever created. THANK YOU BIFF FOR BEING SO SNEAKY!

The next morning it was all business.... my goal for this trip was to, obviously, have a little Christmas time with my family members, and to find a place for a reception, a dinner, AND I was going to find a dress! I was determined. Seriously- I had to get that stuff done. If I didn't I was going to have to resort to taking sleeping pills every night here in Orlando so my mind would shut down. Ha. Anyway...

Christmas dinner with my mom, Biff, Brett, and Kensie.




Kensie is ridiculous. I love her, but she's ridiculous. Ha ha. She is the most friendly little baby I have ever seen in my life. She spent the whole night making friends with the people at the tables around us, and by the end of the night she had the full attention of these three teenaged boys. She says, "HI!" and waves, and that's it. They are putty in her little hands. Kensie is hilarious!


I gave her a Baby Belle for Christmas- she LOVES her nose.


Baby Belle become SUMO Belle when Elizabeth was stuck in the car with a sleeping baby while my mom and I shopped for wedding dresses. My sister cracks me up.

Here's the great news: By the time I finished everything on Saturday I had a reception place, a place for the dinner the night before, AND I had narrowed things down to two dresses. On Monday I bought one of those dresses. YEAH! I'm good to go, people!

I decorated my mommy's Christmas tree so she could be festive.




Next came the OTHER big surprise. My stepmom and I had plotted- for weeks- to surprise my dad with my presence at a local Roberts Craft store. She takes my dad to craft stores all the time so it was just a typical trip for him.

I watched them go into the store- followed a few minutes behind them, found this handy dandy "Merry Christmas" yard sign (to which was attached a jingle bell), and tracked them down back by the picture frames.

I stood about 8 feet in back of my dad and jingled the sign as loud as I could. He ignored me. Stepped five feet closer... ignored me. Lame. So finally I walked up to him, shoved the "MERRY CHRISTMAS" sign in his face (it was covering me so he has NO idea who the weirdo doing this was), and slowly revealed my face to my daddy. "Well helllllllo," he said. Classic. Then Di, Kait, my dad and I all headed to dinner at El Matador in Bountiful. Later that night I went to their house and played a Wii for the first time ever. I LOVED IT!

Going on...

Christmas Eve.

Chuck and I went to Bubba Gump's. It was our last chance before he heads to Utah.



Christmas Day:

I got to be in the Magic Kingdom on Christmas Day. I'll probably never do that again. Fabulous.





Then EPCOT:




Then time for food at my house with the roomies and Amy Harper's family:

The food festival continued the next night with Chuck's farewell party. Six pizzas. Gone.



Friday I also said goodbye to my favorite gay, Barry. (He won't be around in the next month and a half before I leave). He was in the show with us when I first started and left awhile back. He came back to see the show and I was so happy!


And now, may I introduce, the funniest Christmas gift EVER. I think I am really going to enjoy bantering gag gifts with my father-in-law.


Yes my friends, look closely. That hair is glued onto her legs. My soon to be father-in-law made this for me. It has been the highlight of the holiday season for me and all of my friends here in Orlando. BRILLIANT.

Tourists Take Pictures of The Magic Kingdom...

We just take pictures of the tourists.

Why Kids Must Be Fun to Have at Christmas...

When I was home (Which I still haven't posted about...) my dad and step-mom decided to give Kensie her present a little early. This was the reaction. I LOVE IT.

Mother and Daughter?

So I compared a picture of Elizabeth and Kensie at almost the same age (Biff is probably about 3 months older here), and WOW. I think she looks like her momma.

The Best Surprise Ever...

More details later... but y'all thought I was still living life in Orlando, eh? Not this weekend!!!

The Tuesday Morning Edition of Sunday Sunshine

Obviously I have too much going on. It's Tuesday. Sunday was two days ago. Yeah. ANYWAY...

1. I have great friends that I love. The Merrills- of my beloved Playmill- are in town right now. It's been wonderful to see them again. I'm a bit in shock over how big the kids have become- and we spent lots of time reminiscing and just chatting it up at the Studios last night. I am grateful for AWESOME friends. I'm so lucky to have friends like this all over the world.


2. Sometimes I curse the internet, but all in all, I'm pretty darn grateful for it. Right now- since I really have no control over planning my wedding, I can spend HOURS upon HOURS online staring at websites for reception centers and bridal attire and yada yada. I get a bit obsessive. But since I can't be in UTAH right now (three weeks and counting till I am there!) I'm thankful that I can get some ideas and stuff from the internet... even though hours will pass by without my knowing it as I stare at my computer screen.

3. I'm grateful for little while panties that hold my microphone. ;-)

4. Registering is fun. We're still in the process of editing and making choices on the things we want, but I tell ya, I get great joy out of that little scanner gun.

Anyone want a kitty toilet brush holder?
I totally know where you can get one!

5. Christmas songs make me happy.

6. Hot chocolate also makes me happy.

7. Thursday night we had a great enrichment here at my house. It was the last enrichment of the "semester" (We kind of go by semesters here in this ward because of the college program kids...) and we had a great turnout and lots of food! I'm so grateful for all the people who helped and made it so much fun!

8. I'm happy that I can focus myself at the gym. My little brain has been going a BILLION miles per hour the last month- it's enough to drive someone insane. So, I am happy that I can get on the eliptical and "go real fast" and purge some of my excess insanity.

9. I love days when I don't go to work until 2:55 and only stay there till 5:30. Why am I leaving this job?

10. I love winter coats and mittens and scarves. I get to wear them soon!

11. The other night Chuck let me brush his teeth. It was hysterical. He makes me laugh. I love that. And I am happy that he lets me do things like that to him. He's a good sport. So I'm a little crazy? At least I'm fun!

12. Chuck was released as the Elders Quorum Pres. last week. And so it begins... moving, new job, marriage. Life is getting interesting... :-)

13. I still love The Office. I love Thursday nights and look forward to them. Always.

So there ya go. It's a good time in my life... even though I feel more flaky than I have ever been in my life. Is it March yet?

Sunday Sunshine

It was a good day. Despite the fact that I had to work all five shows on a Sunday, I must admit to the fact that I had a nice day.

#1: Babies: I am thankful for babies! I haven't met this cute little girl, Abigail Jeanne Voorhees, but I am excited for her debut into this world! Babies make families more fun, they make life more tiring and exciting, and babies bring some heaven into the lives of all us jaded adults. I love babies! Congrats Yissa, Steve, and Nate!


#2: Hot Blankies: Electric blankets are like unto divinity. I'm serious. Tonight I am reminiscing about my old electric blanket, Frank, and all the warmth he brought into my life in Rexburg, Idaho. I could use him in Orlando, Florida about now.

#3: My Charmed Life: I live a charmed life. I really do. I know I've said it before, but honestly, today as I was up on stage "doing what I do," I chuckled to myself as I pondered the fact that, there I am, doing my thing, and people are WATCHING me. People watch me and take pictures of me like I'm some kind of world wonder. I'm in photo albums and on blogs and in Facebook pictures of thousands of people. Weird. And cool.

#4: Living prophets: I LOVE the Christmas Devotional. During the years I was still in Utah I would make an effort to go to the Conference Center for this event every year. My soul was filled with the spirit as I listened to the stories of the prophet and his ward widows, as I laugh at the humanity of Elder Eyring and his family nativity, and as I sing the words of Christmas hymns. Gah- you really can't beat that.

#5: Water: Water is yummy.

#6: The Last Five Years: No, not the last five years of my life... but the musical. :-) The music is brilliant. I'm addicted. Have been for years... I've just revisited my obsession this week.

#7: My time in Hong Kong: I was offered another contract in Hong Kong this past week. While, at one time, Chuck and I thought we could work something really sweet out if this happened, we decided it's definitely NOT the best option considering our lives right now. :-) I will forever hold dear memories of that place, the people, and the things I learned and the way I grew during that time of my life. I came to understand loneliness, and became a more forgiving and compassionate person. Hong Kong changed me. I miss it.

#8: Clear Skin: I used to have HORRENDOUS acne. I'm telling you, it was AWFUL. Thank you Accutane and birth control. Because of you I have had clear skin since 2004. PLEASE LET IT STAY THAT WAY!!!!

#9: Discipline: I have it. I am going to bed now. I have three minutes to be in bed my the time I said I would. ;-)

Holiday Happiness

Oh No... Something else to keep me entertained for hours when I should be doing other things...

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Why I Miss Ryan Simmons

Because I Have Time... Thanks Joella!

I totally stole this off my old roommate's blog. :-) Thanks, JoMama!! ;-)

Welcome to the 2008 Holiday Edition of Getting to Know your Friends!

You know the drill. Don't be a scrooge!!! But only if you have time.

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?

Hot Cho. As Stacker got me calling it years ago.... :-)

2. Does Santa wrap presents or sit them under the tree?

Both. Usually he leaves out one or two presents to satisfy before the big present opening fiasco begins!

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?

COLORED!

4. Do you hang mistletoe?

No- but I should. This year I could look at it and it wouldn't depress me! HA!

5. When do you put your decorations up?

Usually the day after Thanksgiving I break out the decorations and the Christmas music and go nuts. I'm a little behind this year.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)

STUFFING!!!!!

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child:

My sister and I would always try to be the first one down in the morning to see the tree. I won. Every year.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?

I don't remember when I officially "found out." But I have a great story about me in the sixth grade:

The Concerned Mother: "Amy, I need to talk to you about something."

Amy the Pre-Teen: Oh no... not THIS talk. I don't want to talk about THAT stuff with my mother!
I know my body is changing, Mommy- but do we HAVE to talk about it?!?!?!

"OK."

The Concerned Mother: "Sit here by me."

Amy the Pre-Teen: OH NO. NO NO NO NO PLEASE NO.

The Concerned Mother: "Amy, do you still believe in Santa?"

Amy the Pre-Teen: "... No Mother." ... .... .... Thank you.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?

I always wanted to but was rarely allowed. So now, in my world, YES.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?

Mmmmmm. Depends on the year. This year so far the tree has lights. That's it. Awesome.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?

LOVE it for the holidays. The week of Christmas and until New Years it's COMPLETELY welcome (and missed when I'm in Florida...). After that, GO AWAY.

12. Can you ice skate?

Yes! I am a regular Kristi Yamaguchi! (Or so I would like to think... I always wanted to wear the cute leotard so when I skated backwards my skirt would fly and my cute leotarded behind would show. Hmmmm.)

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?

My American Girl "Samantha" doll. I was nine. HEAVEN.

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you?

Bring close to family- which I haven't done in three years. Sigh.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?

Here we go. Duh. Peppermint Ice Cream and hot fudge. And add some whipped cream.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?

Going to Grammy's house on Christmas day and playing games. It's the ONE time every year we get together. (OK- so we do pretty well on the 4th of July too...)

17. What tops your tree?

A sparkly star!

18. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving?

Giving. Definitely. But I won't lie and tell you that I DO love receiving too. (This year- no presents necessary my friends. Cash- cold hard cash. I have a wedding to pay for.) HA. And SIGH.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song?

Judy Garland- Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. I want her dress.

20. Candy Canes?

They have to be peppermint. I hate these new fangled random fruity flavors. Yuck. Peppermint. Red and white striped- the way they're SUPPOSED to be! :-)

What Does Amy Do at 2 AM?

Love.