Glorious.

I have a new plan for life: I am buying myself a massage therapist. Yes. The therapist will live at my house and will serve me whenever I call upon their name. Yes. I had a good day.

Inspired...

Hi All. I am inspired by Jamie to encourage all my lurkers post comments on my page. I'm just curious. It's my new fascination... I'll be over it in a week or so but for now I would really like to know who looks at this thing! :-)

Two Days Till SNOW!

I will admit that my excitement for winter weather will last all of five minutes- or less- but yay! I am excited to see some significant snow for the first time in almost two years! I love snow. It's pretty. I hate the cold that comes along with the snow- but ya know- when I know I don't have to deal with it for too long, I can just sit back and enjoy.

Kensie's blessing in on Sunday. I fully intend on cuddling, hogging, and even fighting for the attention of that baby. Everyone else there will be people who see her all the time. SHE'S MINE FOR THE WEEKEND! :-) Hee.

So I am trying to get a start on this piano thing. Now here's the problem: I am WAY too ADHD for the adult piano books. When I was in college I had to take a few classes, and little did I know that every so often our teachers would secretly listen in on our playing as we practiced during class. (THAT'S what she was doing with those headphones on... dang digital pianos...) ANYWAY- I would practice for all of, oh, a minute, and then I would sit there like a kid whose mom is trying to make him eat peas at the dinner table. I would whine in my head- which would eventually turn into me plucking away randomly at the keyboard. Quickly this plucking would evolve into what I used to do as a child- POUND POUND POUND RANDOMNESS AS LOUD AS I CAN until my mom would scream for me to stop. I was a smart one, you know? Unfortunately, this method didn't work in college...hmmm. Anyway, after weeks of doing this, my teacher finally came up to me one day and said, "Amy, is everything ok in your life?" HA.




Anyway- I have decided to start with the piano books I used as a kid... you know those Alfred ones with the toothy pianos on the cover? "Hi Kids! Piano playing is fun... just look at me!" But I am really thinking this will bring the best results for my little HYPER brain. :-) We'll see.

I love my life. Today I don't work till 3. Ha. Life is good. I work for three hours and come home. Tonight I wanna go see the movie 27 Dresses... yay for fun.

18. And Stuff.

Today the new wig lady at work told me she thought I was 18. Hmmmm. Well, I ACT like I am 18 (I have to keep all those people at work happy, you know- so I turn on the hyper button) and I don't look like I'm almost 27, but 18? REALLY?

Hmmmm... what else do I report? Not much. This weekend I get to fly home. I am super excited for Kensie's blessing and I am also going to see several of my friends that I haven't had the chance to see for awhile. So happy happy! When I leave Utah my mom and Grandma with fly back to Orlando at the same time, stay here with me for a week, and when they leave, my cousin Lindsey comes. During all this I also get to do a gig as Cinderella- so that will be fun. YAY FOR VARIETY. :-) But that is also so tiring. I need a vacation. I wanna go to Hawaii. Let's go.

This month went fast, don't ya think? Life is good.

My Love for President Gordon B. Hinckley

Tonight as Chuck left my house his mom called. Soon he came back through my door with that dreaded look of "something is wrong."

President Hinckley has passed away.

President Hinckley has been the president of the Church since I was 14 years old. Of course I remember previous prophets, but President Hinckley is the prophet of my youth. He taught me time and time again the things I need to know to be a successful and happy person. I was constantly amazed by his enthusiasm for life, his energy- especially at 97 years old, and his ability to stay positive during the tough times. He established the "B's," inspired us to rise above the ordinary and "be a little better," taught each one of us the importance of families, and he constantly testified of the reality of our Savior.

President Monson spoke in our stake conference this morning. He seemed unusually worn and reflective- which we all commented on as we discussed the things we'd heard in the meeting. His unusual state made us wonder if something was wrong with HIM.

I know that President Hinckley was a true prophet of God. His inspiring words, optimism, and testimony of Jesus Christ have enthused me since I was a young girl. I loved watching him wave his cane during his later years, and will always cherish the Ensign articles, conference talks, and devotional memories I have to remind me of this incredible man.

"I am no longer a young man filled with energy and vitality. I am an old man. I'm given to meditation and prayer. I would enjoy sitting in a rocker, swallowing prescriptions, listening to soft music, and contemplating the things of the universe. But such activity offers no challenge and makes no contribution. I wish to be up and doing. I wish to face each day with resolution and purpose. I wish to use every waking hour to give encouragement, to bless those whose burdens are heavy, to build faith and strength of testimony."- President Gordon B. Hinckley.

May we all choose to live our lives as this incredible man did.

To Audition or To Not Audition

OK- I need advice:

There's a theatre in Daytona Beach- about an hour away- doing Les Miz this summer. I have signed up for an audition this Thursday. Problem is, that the more I think of it, the more it seems stupid to me to do it. Here are the pros and cons... and I want y'alls opinions.

Pros:

1. It's Les Miz. I have been obsessed since I was 8.
2. It would be an Equity job outside of Utah- great for the resume.
3. It would be a change from Beauty and the Beast on speed...

Cons:

1. It's an hour away from where I live... probably add another hour during bad traffic.
2. Rehearsals and performances will amount to about two months. Commuting? YUCK.
3. I doubt I would be able to keep my Beauty and the Beast job AND work in Daytona. So I would do the show in June but then be out of a job after that.
4. There's a serial killer loose in Daytona... (AND THIS IS NO LIE! http://www.abcactionnews.com/news/state/story.aspx?content_id=c7b9c82f-a29c-4653-aeca-31a82a53b566)

Thoughts people?

And obviously, AUDITIONING doesn't mean I will be cast... but ya know... sometimes I think, "Why bother if I dunno if I really wanna do it...)

Update on My New Years Resolutions

This is what a nerd I am:

I am reading more. Yes I am. My goal is to read two books per month... and what did I begin with??

Great book. Love it. She writes like she talks and I LOVE that. Buuuuut I am ADD and have to read each page like twice cuz my mind wanders.

NEXT on the agenda:

I AM SUCH A NERD! But I LOVE American history. I want to know about the Civil War. So I shall learn.

Next month a have a lovely fiction book on the agenda. Any suggestions for book #2?

Go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go

No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth... I kind of feel like I have, but it's been a

BUSY BUSY BUSY

two weeks. My cousin Justin came to visit- lots of fun- and basically the only other thing I've been doing is working- exciting. Oh yeah- and I took a two day trip to NYC for an audition (which I subsequently failed at... failure is good for me once in awhile I think...) Ha ha. Anyway, the next couple weeks will be fun at work- tomorrow and Wednesday I get to do a special event as "Bo Peep" from Toy Story, and in three weeks I get to do a Cinderella gig. So ya know- at least I am getting a variety in my life here... considering I just signed a contract to stay with the show for another YEAR!! I am very blessed with my job here. I get a steady paycheck, lots of overtime with special events, and yeah- it's STABLE. So ya know...

At Ripley's Believe it or Not in NYC!

Ground Zero- Construction construction construction...

Attack of the Giant Hershey's Bottle

Happy Justin

More exciting news: In two weeks I get to come home. Kensie is being blessed and I am going to spend just a few days in Utah. Then my mom and grandma are coming back to FL with me! Good stuff.

She's Developing My Saucer Eyes

Kensie

Amy the Political Geek

I am fascinated with this whole presidential election process that officially begins in Iowa tomorrow. I have become addicted to news channels such as CNN and FOX. What's happening to me? Ha ha.

Breathtaking Moments

As I discussed in the previous post, I am determined, in 2008, to write in my journal faithfully- like I always have up until April of this past year. As I opened my dusty journal today I found an entry that I wrote last New Years- "Moments of 2006 That Took My Breath Away." What a great thing to have- to be able to look back on my year at the tiny, but pivotal little moments that make my life as beautiful as it is. These moments remind me constantly of the blessings, even the itty-bitty, minute ones, that I am constantly given.

I am now reflecting on the moments of 2007 that "took my breath away." They're a little more subtle than the ones from 2006, but my year was full of them.


Challenge: Write down (anywhere- journal, blog, the back of your checkbook...) the "Moments of 2007 That Took Your Breath Away."

It's That Time of Year...

HAPPY 2008 Everyone!!!

I love starting a new year. I love making resolutions and thinking about how I need to improve myself in the next several months. Yep.

So here we go...

In no particular order, I am going to:

* Learn to play hymns by the end of 2008. I took piano lessons for at least 4 years of my life. I CAN NOT play. It's RETARDED. I am too ADD to sit there and read the notes and practice and stuff. But I am gonna do it. Music is inherently in me, and I know that when I do the work to make it happen, it will. AND it will open a whole new world for me. Being able to play hymns will most likely allow me to play lots of other things too. I need a piano. Yeah.

* Eat better. I was good at this for half of 2007 and it was GREAT! But in the last few months I have faltered. Ha ha. I am a sucker for holiday food. In addition to eating better, I am going to get back into my routine of working out at least four times per week.

* Write in my journal regularly. I have been good at this my entire life- until April of 2007. When I came home from Hong Kong I just stopped writing. Since then I have maybe written only three times. LAME!

* Read more. As a kid I LOVED to read. I think seven years of college ruined me- ha ha- and I just don't like to read anymore. Maybe I'm just 2 ADD. But I wanna try to read two books per month. Yep.

And now: I tag you all to blog your New Years Resolutions. I dunno about you, but I am MUCH more likely to stick to them when I have admitted them to the world. Ha ha.

For the Love of Biff.

Heather has inspired me. As she discussed her memories of childhood Christmases past, I got reminiscing about my experiences at Christmastime- or, particularly experiences with my little sister. Ah the years of torture I put her through. A chosen few of the stories follow:

The Story of "Diamond"

We all know this dinosaur is Little Foot from "The Land Before Time," right? But years after my sister got this giant stuffed animal for Christmas she decided that it not only was a GIRL, but her name was DIAMOND. What the ?????? Also known as "Dinosaur," Diamond/Little Foot was Biff's most beloved stuff animal. He/She went everywhere with her. One day I decided it would be funny if Dinosaur died. Sooooooooooooooo before Biff woke up, I retrieved the stuffed beast, hung it with a jump rope in the closet, and made a halo out of a hanger, yellow construction paper, and glitter. Amy the villan laughed devilishly as the younger sister made the discovery of the hanging dinosaur. It took some time for my mom to convince Elizabeth that Dinosaur wasn't really dead. Hee hee hee.

QUINTS. I LOVED these dolls! Even though I was getting older when they came out, I played with them constantly and had several different Quint collections. One day I discovered that the Quints fit easily into the check boxes that my mom would give us to keep things in. Now, being inspired by the previously mentioned Margaret O'Brien (Tootie), in Meet Me in St Louis, who buried her "dead" dolls in the back yard, I thought it was a great idea to "bury" the Quints in the check box. However, I certainly did not want to bury MY Quint dolls, so I convinced Elizabeth that it would be "FUN" to bury hers. We, of course, had a funeral for the Quints, buried them a whole foot into the ground, let them stay there for a few hours, got bored with the idea of dead Quints, and dug 'em back up.

Biff's Skipper wasn't black. Ha ha. But this is the beautiful Homecoming Skipper that Elizabeth got one year. The doll had BEAUTIFUL long, flowing blonde curls, and somehow I convinced my sister that she would look better with bangs. Elizabeth, trusting her wise older sister, took the scissors and snipped the hair off the front of Skipper's head. HA HA. After the haircut I also convinced her it would be REALLY neat if she held Skipper's hair up to the humidifier we had in our room. Steam+plastic Barbie hair= Froof. This is how Homecoming Skipper the Ugly Haired.

Here's the kicker:

As I was outgrowing Barbies, Elizabeth was at the height of her Barbie career. Truthfully, I LOVED playing as well, but thought I would be looked down upon by family and friends if anyone knew such a secret. Biff and I had a Barbie world in our basement. The entire back room was dedicated to everything Barbie- it was an entire LAND of everything Barbie we owned.

1993 was the 30 year anniversary of the Kennedy assassination. Amy the 12-year-old became fascinated with the story, and decided that when her little sister wanted to play the "house version" of Barbie (you know, Barbie dates, Barbie gets married, Barbie has babies...) , she would instead break into a Barbie version of the Kennedy assassination. Poor Biff was more than disturbed by her big sister's bizarre new version of Barbie.

... Are you disturbed by me now?

I am a blogging idiot.

Why is it that I am the queen of blogging and yet, I can not, for the LIFE of me, figure out how all of you make your blogs soooooooooooooooo cute. Will someone PLEASE gimme directions on how to make my blog cute like Kecia's, Jamie's, Jenna's, etc etc etc. PLEASE. I am going crazy here.

The Younger Years

For Entertainment:

Aubrey and Melissa's Baby Shower-September 2002

Melissa's Wedding- October 2001

Aubrey's Wedding- April 2001

Kensie Love

Attack of the Gummy Bears at the Golden Spoon on Harrison

When I was a kid I took dance classes. A LOT of dance classes (you'd never know it considering the awkwardness of my dancing now... SIGH). Yes, I took lessons from three different studios at one point- but my favorite was BALLET WEST at the Weber State campus. Why?

Golden Spoon. What seemed like often, my mom would take me and my dancing car pool-ey, Amber Owens (who actually gave me mono in the third grade when we shared a drink...) to Golden Spoon after our dance lessons. Every time I would order yogurt with gummy bears mixed into it. This quickly became known as "Attack of the Gummy Bears!" (But that doesn't really make sense since I was the one chomping on THEM, right?) Anyway, I would devour the gummy bears, my mom would make voices, and we would giggle hysterically. I remember wondering sometimes if Amber thought we were weird. Ha ha.

Maybe this is why I associate gummy bears with tutus and tights.

Happy Christmas to All... and to All a Good Night.

Should I be awake? Nope. Should I be snuggled in my bed dreaming of sugar plums and a fat old guy who comes into my house through a chimney? Yep. Am I? No.

I love Christmas. This year was so different in so many ways, but wow- it was so good. My life is filled with INCREDIBLE people and blessings and opportunities that I can NEVER give enough thanks to my Heavenly Father for. The last few days have allowed me to really reflect on all these blessings and on the Savior, and again, WOW, I have no words. Life is beautiful.

Now onto the short version of the craziness:

1. I became domestisized this holiday. I, Amy Diane Shreeve, roasted a TURKEY. Not only did I ROAST the turkey, but it came out perfectly, and best of all, none of the 17 people who ate it died! No one even got SICK! I AM DOMESTIC. Amazing.

2. I am tired. My mind has gone blank.

3. Thanks for all the presents and loves from people.

4. My niece is ridiculously cute. I love her.

5. Thanks to Aubrey who enjoyed rubbing my face in the snow that so delightfully fell in her front yard on Christmas Eve. Ha ha. (So fun to talk to you for a little while the other night!)

6. Steve the Christmas tree still lives.

7. Not only did I make a turkey, but I also made a fabulous "Stuffed French Toast Casserole" for breakfast this morning. Who knew that all it takes to cook is a recipe!! (Am I REALLY 26 and just figuring this out?? THAT'S what happenes when you're single for a long time, I tell ya!)

8. Pictures and whatever else later. I have to go rejuvinate myself with sleep so I can be prepared to prance and sing tomorrow at that job I have. LOVES. And MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I Sing for Famous People.

This guy was sitting in the forth row at my show yesterday.
I waved at Gary Sinese! YEAH!

Dreaming of a White Christmas

I will be the first to admit that I am sad about not being in Utah this Christmas. For the first time in I don't know how many years, its supposed to snow on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Sniffle. I don't like the cold AT ALL, but there's something about sitting by the tree as the lights sparkle and watching the snow fall. Maybe next year. Anyone wanna send me some snow?

Oh yeah- and people keep asking... next time I'll be home is the weekend of February 3. McKensie is being blessed! YAY!

A Floridian Christmas

There's no snow- but I gotta admit that this is pretty cool!

Not Christmasy, but hey, The Sword in the Stone is cool.

Duck Butt Hat

A Jazz game in Orlando! (Some would call it an Orlando Magic game... but for me it was totally a UTAH JAZZ game!) And we WON! Yeeeeah!

Christmas at Disney!!!

Osborn Family Spectacle of Lights at MGM Studios

Christmas show at Magic Kingdom

WOW!!! (Finale of the Christmas show)

Disney's 20+ Event

Disclaimer on this video: Trying to run in 3+ in heels and sing= bad singing. Ha ha.

Ode to the Classics

Now that it's a freezing 40 degrees in Florida, (Yes, I am trying to make you all jealous...) I am obsessed with Christmas music. Ahhhh... I love it.

Nothing beats Judy Garland's "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, (well, honestly, nothing beats the scene RIGHT AFTER the song in "Meet Me in St Louis" when Margaret O'Brian whacks all the heads off the snowmen in the back yard... does anyone know what I'm talking about????) Anyway, nothing beats that, Nat King Cole singing "The Christmas Song," and Bing Crosby crooning "White Christmas." Ah the sentiment.

... Then I get sad because it's winter, I am in FLORIDA, there is no snow, no family... nothing much to get me into the spirit. Sigh. I think I have compensated by going crazy with shopping. Hee hee. I have mailed lots of fun presents.

Tis the season. I love it.

The Insanity.

This is Chuck's step-brother, Todd.

Don't worry, last night he was awarded a MILLION DOLLARS when he won season 15 of SURVIVOR! HOW FUN TO WATCH!!!