Good Riddance 2010

It's probably not surprising to most of you that I am THRILLED that 2010 is over.

Chuck and I had some GREAT, WONDERFUL, and HAPPY times this year, but sadly most of that was overshadowed by the heartache and trial of those closest to us. It was rough. The things going on weighed very heavily on our minds, many tears were shed, and countless prayers were offered on behalf of those we love. It all just plain HURT. A LOT. And honestly, it all continues to sting a little.

BUT - I am thankful that with this new year, those people in our lives who are hurting are beginning to rebuild and face the future with optimism. Good things will happen for them.2011 will be good. And I can not wait!

New Year's: Look Not Behind Thee

Dilly-Dallying...

A weekday afternoon/evening and I have time for blogging...

Holidays=Less Work= Happy Amy.

My latest HAPPIES:

1.

It is not very often that I LOVE a movie. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Tangled. Chuck and I finally saw it on Monday and I adored it. So much. I felt like a nine-year-old as I got all wrapped up in the fairy tale of it all. Oh, so wonderful. Thoughts?

2.

This is how Gilbert- recently nicknamed "Gilford Woodruff"- sleeps. Never seen a cat sleep like this before

3.

A few mornings ago, as I woke up, Chuck informed me that I missed the Christmas episode of "Glee." (In all honestly I have missed MANY episodes... I've kind of lost that lovin' feelin'...) ANYWAY, he proceeds to perform the Finn/Rachel version of "Last Christmas" as seen on the show. I am so happy he keeps me entertained. And that he doesn't murder me when I tell stories like this on the blog...

4.

Skye and Jyl- Our niece and Jyl the dog kept us thoroughly entertained on Christmas Day.

Skye doing her "Pole Dance."

5.

Truffles- Blast my sister who gave us "Cocoa Dusted Truffles" as part of our Christmas gifts. They are delish and there are a zillion- yes, a ZILLION- of them and I keep eating them. Ugh.

6.

Demon Kitty- Chuck posted this on Facebook this week and it got more attention than any other pictures of the two of us ever have.

7.

My Little Jar of Vaseline-I'm attached to this thing. Ridiculous. It ran out this week. It's the end of an era.

Little Jar of Vaseline joined my life during the summer of 2003. I was living in West Yellowstone and bought him at the "Apothecary." It's dry up there, so Trudy Bidwell told the cast to put Vaseline up our noses to avoid nosebleeds and lots of dry boogers. Ha.

Fast forward- Little Jar of Vaseline becomes very well traveled:

The Playmill housing was his first home.

He goes to BYU with me.

He travels all over Asia with the Young Ambassadors.

He flies to NYC.

He moves to the other side of the world! (Back to Asia, really, Amy???)

He moves back to Utah

Then he goes on a cross country trip to Florida where he makes his new home.

Two years later I drag him back to Utah and we move into a new house.

And now he's gone.

Seven and a half years later.

Lots of history with that Little Jar of Vaseline. Sniffle.

Yes. I'm a crazy person for writing about Vaseline.

And that concludes this post. Thank you.

The Tale of a Younger Me at Christmastime

Lets discuss my obsession with Ballet West's "The Nutcracker."

See the dresses and pantaloons on these girls? While most kids spend their holidays dreaming of toys and candy- I spent MY childhood obsessing over these "Party Girls."

Words can not describe how badly I wanted to be one of them.

I auditioned three times.

First Year: I wore my red shiny leotard in hopes I would be chosen as a "Buffoon." No cigar, kiddo. Thanks, Mommy, for getting my ears pierced at Claire's to ease this first rejection...

Second Year: I was tall enough to be a party girl- I must have been about ten? I spent the month of September preparing for the auditions - listening to The Nutcracker constantly and drawing motivational pictures of "Party Girls" and taping them ALL over my room. (Oh, how I hope I have some of those somewhere - ya know, for the day I actually get around to scrapbooking my childhood...) Audition day came. I remember how proud I was of the way I looked. Once again... rejection...

But I am a resilient little bugger!

Year Number Three: LAST CHANCE TO BE A PARTY GIRL. By the next year I would surely be too tall.

Now let's reminisce on the tragedy of this audition:

Again, I was proud of how I looked in my fantastic sparkly blue leotard (that matched my eyes exquisitely, thank you very much!) and well worn ballet slippers. I. Was. Ready. I'd drawn plenty of pictures and psyched myself up to dance like a star and they were GOING to cast me!

I was proud of my audition, and when it came time for the hundreds of little girls to sit on the floor as the cuts were made, I was confident. Number after number was read- and finally- the number of girls left was tiny.

"One more to cut!" the lady said. "The rest of you will be part of Ballet West's 'Nutcracker' this year.

I noticed the KSL news camera in the room ready to broadcast the reaction of the newest "Party Girls." Good.

I was in. I was giddy.

And then, THEN, they called the number. The last girl to be cut.

Me.

Ouch.

The girls start screaming and jumping up and down.

But not me. All I could do was sob in disbelief. And KSL decided to capture that moment and put it on TV that night. Way to rub salt in the wound, Carole Mikita- it's amazing I still worship you and your job!

Shake it off...

POINT IS:

I got over the trauma of never making "The Nutcracker" (And let's be honest- it was prophetic, right? I will NEVER be cast as a DANCER!) and I absolutely love and adore Ballet West's production.

I am a little miffed that the "Party Girl" choreography has changed since 1990, but whatever.

I would attend this production every year if I could. EVERY YEAR- like my cousins and I used to.

* Memories *

Grandma Colleen and our moms would pack us up for a night out in new, frilly dresses, and shiny black shoes.

We'd go to dinner and the ballet.

Those were happy, happy times.

My grandma was cool.

And I love Ballet West's "The Nutcracker." A lot.

Oh, and PS: The same year of the horrifying 'Nutcracker' rejection I WAS cast as a dancer in Utah Ballet's production of "The Monkey King." I was a raindrop, a monkey, and a birth giving stone. Yes. A stone that gave birth- to a monkey. Lucky me.

Prepare...

* Notice to All Parents, Relatives, and Friends: None of your Christmas presents will be a frame adorned with a growing fetus photo or a snapshot of me holding a pee stick with a big purple +. Just thought I'd give you a heads up as to avoid the disappointed looks we will surely receive. ;-)

Does it Make Me a Grown Up When...

Getting a new washer and dryer makes me giddy and I want to stay home all day doing laundry?

I need to go buy some Tide in celebration.

What has my life come to?

On a Quiet Sunday...

"We become what we want to be

by consistently being what we

want to become each day."

Richard G. Scott

Told you I was on a quote kick.

Ponderings #2

On a quote kick, I suppose:

"I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails. I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp. I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbors children. I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone's garden. I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder. I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived."

— Marjorie Pay Hinckley

Ponderings of a Winter's Night

"I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish humble tasks as though they were great and noble." - Helen Keller

Random Rants

I am here.

I'm alive.

I'm sick.

But alive.

So that's definitely a good thing.

So y'all know how I was whining about being "stuck" in Orlando with nothing to do? I'm glad I enjoyed it while I was there because now that I am home, life is going a zillion mph. Yes, a zillion.

Work. Workworkwork. Which is GREAT- Dear Mazda That I Love: I WANT YOU PAID OFF. I WANT TO OWN YOU...

I want to buy clothes.

Now some would think that I would use at least one paycheck to purchase my husband and myself ya know- at least some decent winter clothing to help us survive the season? Nope. I am 100% focused on that car. Sweaters? NAH! Lets just keep wearing the same things we've worn all year long- only with hoodies over them. I have hoodies. Yeah. Hoodies with "Hong Kong Disneyland" plastered across the front. I am so stylish!

Santa Clauses: Please be kind.

I got a really good job offer. (A REAL kind of job- not the acting kind...) I turned it down. Turmoil- lots of it. Long story that I absolutely won't bore you all with- but that's been my last couple weeks.

I'm ready for turkey and pie. Tonight I had pizza and cinnamon bread sticks. It was delish. So much for saving my weekly calories for later in the week.

On Saturday nights there's this little ditty on 106.5 called "Showtunes Saturday Night." OH, I'm sorry, what? You changed your name to "Showtunes Tonight"????? Living in Florida threw me off my Utah groove. Point is: I heard Frances Ruffelle's version of "On My Own," (shudder...) and was thrown into my 1992 "Karaoke while my mom isn't home" days. I have a tape- yes, a TAPE- of me singing that song, HER style during that era. Thank heaven I grew out of THAT phase.

I should go to bed.

Bring on the blizzard.

I love winter.

It's a good thing I have all those hoodies.

Christina Bianco, Broadway Divas sing "Tomorrow"

'''

Having a relaxing (aka- trying to stop the sickness! I literally have no voice...) morning at home. Came across this. Made me laugh.

Down Time

One more day of work for me here at the magical world of Disney. For now anyway. I've been here for two weeks and have thoroughly enjoyed every minute. Tonight the 20+ show ends, and sadly, the event I was booked for later this week got cancelled. I'd have just come home on my original flight but it was going to cost me $300 in addition to what I'd already spent. I'm a tight wad thank you very much, I'll just stay here for the extra six days.

Six days. With no work. I might go crazy.

Many of you think that life could be harder than being stuck in Orlando for six days with nothing to do. But you have to remember that I LIVED here for awhile so the novelty of theme parks has worn off. (Cue husband rolling his eyes now...) It's basically like being stuck at home with NOTHING to do for a week.

So what will I do?

Enjoy it while I can, I guess! Maybe I will READ, or write in my journal, and I'll probably even hop onto the Family Search website and play with genealogy for the first time in years.

And then I'll come back home and get back into the grind of paying off my car. SIX MONTHS. I can do it.

By the way, THANK YOU for all of the wonderful feedback, motivation, and support in regard to the PAYING OFF THE CARS obsession. It's rough turning over your ENTIRE paycheck to pay for something already in your possession. But I know it is totally worth it and many of you have told me how smart we are to be doing this NOW rather than later. I love hearing your success stories.

Dear Santa(s) -

Chuck and I have recently come to look like homeless people. (I actually think he still looks great, but I feel like the frump queen.) Now I'll have you know, Mister Santa(s), that it's all for a good cause. If you will take note of my last post- we are on our way to becoming free of vehicle debt.

So this year, Santa Claus(es), Chuck and I just need clothes. Or gift cards/money to buy such necessities. :-)

Is this practical, Santa? Very. Will we enjoy this? Thoroughly.

We are officially old married people.

And we love it.

One Down, and One to Go!!!

THE TRUCK IS OFFICIALLY OURS

On Tuesday I walked into the credit union and handed over a final payment of $303.93.

I feel pride in my accomplishment. And I feel overwhelmed that it all begins again with MY car this week.

But -

ITHINKICANITHINKICANITHINKICAN.

And in a few months, Chuck and I will no longer look like homeless people with holes in our clothes.

It will be awesome.

Thanks to my cute hubby for putting up with my "PAYING OFF THE CARS" obsession. (To the point where I don't even want him to buy anything... release those reigns, Ames!) He's a keeper.

Sun Shiney Day

Busy Belle: Singin' for a living again. For a little while anyway...

Next is a little but of this:

Then some of this:

Fun.

Yummies: Food. French mousse, Chinese pot stickers, Mexico's chips and guac... delish.

Just enough humidity + sunshine.

Awesome roomies.

Happy hubby.

Old friends.

Good life.

Breaking News...

He's Baaaaaack

Just thought you'd all like to know that my "friend" from the bridal store showed up again today. This time with his resume.

Looks like he has a Masters from BYU in Religious Education.

I'm still so puzzled...

Maddie

Many of you here in Utah probably heard this story today. Maddie was one of my students at the Scera last year and I am heartbroken over all of this. She was an incredible girl who kept all of us that worked with her at the Scera laughing.

I am sad.

Sunny

Yep. Blog's been pretty dead in the last few weeks. Lots of work, not much time for anything else.

Happies:

1. Light: Conference weekend. Loved it.

2. Kilverd:

This is how Gilbert likes to sleep. It's hilarious. "Kilverd" is what Kensie calls Gilbert.

3. Multiply: These babies started, in the Spring, as little plants neatly placed twelve inches apart. They grow like weeds. And they make me happy.



4. Fly: Trip. Soon. YAY!

5. Cool: Autumn temps are on their way. Love the crisp, clean Fall air.

6. Fox: Not loving Glee so far this season, but I do have to say that the part where they used "Getting to Know You" with the Asian lovers cracked me up. Subtle, but hilarious.

7. Delish: Go HERE. Love lots of these recipes.

8. Night: Sleep. What I'm gonna do now. :-)

Sundee Sunshine

1. Alive: I jumped back into the audition world, and though 1/3 of it was not pretty (and honestly kind of horrifying), I am proud of myself regardless of the outcome. And, like I said before, I. Am. Funny. That's what I will force myself to remember whenever I look back on this experience.

Can I say one more thing? I have a great life. It's no secret that the move back here to Utah was not easy for me. I was THRILLED to be close to family and friends and the mountains. I was LIVING what I'd wanted for SO long. I had a husband, a house, a calling in a great ward- it's what I had hoped for for years. BUT- it was hard. For the first time in my young adult life I COULD NOT perform. I LITERALLY could not be on the stage. The opportunity simply was not there.

I am somewhat of a freak. When I put my mind to something, I DO it. I obsess and I DO it. My twenties have been filled with "I will do _____" - and a few months later it's done. So last year I finally crossed "get married" off the list. With that, we left Orlando. I was happy with that. Totally fine with it. I was excited to live the life of a "normal" person.

Enter Amy the Normal Person: WHAT DO I DO WITH MYSELF??? I'd spent the last fifteen or so years playing other people more often than I was AMY. How's that for pathetic? So yes, lots of tears and confusion and feeling like a loser went on and on. Of course I was happy with my PERSONAL life, but I felt like a gigantic part of who I am had been ripped from me and I did not know how to handle it and just be me. WHAT DO I DO WITHOUT STAGE MAKEUP, TIGHTS, and FAKE LASHES?!??!

So- fast forward to now. I'm quite content with life. I like our little house in the "middle of nowhere," I like sitting on the couch at night with Chuck saying to each other "What should we do tonight?" "I dunno. Whaddya wanna do?" Life is blissful. And then I go to an audition...

And I realize something: If I don't get in (which I will not...) - It's OK. And whatever those people thought of me at that audition DOES NOT matter. It doesn't change the fact that tomorrow I will still wake up with a cute boy by me, that I will go to my not exactly fulfilling jobs and continue towards the worthwhile goal of getting our cars paid off, and that I am happy and content. Of course the crazy, career driven and motivated Amy burns with "I could do that" envy when I see the success stories of my MDT friends posted all over Facebook and blogs, but that's OK. I no longer have hysterical breakdowns when I see that someone got cast in "my show" or "my role." Being AMY is ok. And truthfully, it's better than being all those characters in the musicals who sing the great songs.

So that is my conclusion. Thanks for listening to that little rant. :-) Continuing on...

2. Plain No More: Thoughts of decorating my house have made me happy this week. Chuck and I stopped into the Z-Gallerie last week and oh, did my heart sing. I am starting folders on my computer with ideas for each room. Did you notice that my debt ticker is now at 23%??? Getting closer... ha ha. Still a ways to go, but getting ideas for what I will do with our house with all that extra cash is motivating I tell you!

This is my current obsession.

3. Mockery: Like it or not, Chuck and I tend to somewhat mock Utah delights such as "Soft Sunday (or should we say Sundee) Sounds" and "Sounds of the Sabbath." For months we have enjoyed, with friends, coming up with cheesy sayings that belong on the walls of Mormon homes in vinyl lettering. (No offense intended to anyone- I, myself, have found a few of these that I actually would use...) ANYWAY- the newest game is making up Sounds of the Sabbath songs. It's entertaining. And Chuck is funny. And I love it.

Really? Is it necessary to have a song that say things like, "Wrap your sins in a cocoon and emerge a butterfly..." ? (I apologize if you are the writer of that song...) Can't we just stick to the classics - "I Know That My Redeemer Lives, " "Because I Have Been Given Much," "Lead Kindly Light," Etc. etc. etc. I love those.

4. Campy: Friday night was fantastic with a campfire, awesome friends, tin foil dinners, and smores. What a wonderfully fun night. Oh, how I will miss this early Fall weather.





5. Orlando (Not Bloom) : One month from today. Can't wait.

6. When the Moon Hits Your Eye: We ate at THE PIE this weekend. We decided to forgo the State Fair and ended up just eating The Pie's fabulous pizza instead. Aaaaand tomorrow I begin working out again... cough...

7. SLC: Conference is in two weeks. Good stuff.

8. Baby: This guy is growing up...






Have a happy week!