all grown up...almost

2010-05-21T20:40:00.001-06:00

Iiiiit's mmeeeeee! Mrs. Martin! :) Anywhoser, seeing as how this entire blog was about plain ol' single Amy I've decided to go ahead and start a brand spankin' new blog for new married Amy (and Zac. but I doubt he cares much.) So I can now be found at www.amyandzac.blogspot.com. YAY!

have ya heard? ;)

2010-03-09T00:32:00.000-07:00

yes, i know... i am a complete and total slacker. i apologize and hope that this post will help catch you all up to date! :)

so here's the BIG story of how we met: sometime last year i got a random friend request on facebook. i don't normally accept people i don't know but 1. this boy was cuuuute and 2. it said he lived in provo and i just assumed that i had met him in a class or something. so i approved his request and checked out his profile to see if i recognized him... i didn't. however, i was apparently too lazy to take him back off my friends so there he stayed. around december we started "facebook associating" with each other, just dumb stuff like commenting on statuses and such. eventually he invited me and my roommates over to his apartment to watch the office (this was a fantastic sign, anyone that likes the office is awesome!) so i ran a couple tests to make sure this guy was legit and when it all worked out i went over (alllll the way across the street... weird, we were neighbors) and did NOT watch the office. i talked to the cutest boy i had EVER seen, Zachary. :) since that night we have only been apart for 4 days total (well, except now. i'll explain later.) and i have loved every single minute.

Now, the other BIG story: I brought Zac home over super bowl weekend to meet my family. We had already gotten pretty serious and we both knew right where this was heading but i assumed this was just going to be a fairly normal weekend. we had a ton of fun, we hung out with the fam and watched the game at uncle randy and mom's houses so that i could introduce Zac to everrrryone. he was great with it too. he's such a people person, i love how he can fit into any situation! anyways, so we stayed until monday so we could have lunch with my mom and blaine. after lunch he asked me if we could go see the temple since that's where we had already talked about getting married. i happily obliged and drove him over there. we hung out in the visitors' center for a while, sitting in front of the Christus statue. while we were sitting there though ALL of the cute little couple missionaries felt the need to encircle us and give us all sorts of marriage advice, and tell us the stories of their grandkids on missions/getting married AND the background on each of their marriages. i didn't mind one bit, i love talking to people but Zac seemed a little bit irritated and i couldn't figure out why! so he asked me to go walk with him outside. we walked all the way around the temple and ended up sitting on a bench right in front. after saying all the cute things that are naturally said during a proposal he asked me if i would marry him and i said YES!!! :)

the BIG details: our wedding date is set for May 1 in the Idaho Falls temple. there will be a reception that night in firth and we will also be having an open house in windsor colorado. after the wedding zac and i will be moving down to huntington beach, ca for the summer because he does summer security sales (that's where he is now, and that's why we have now been apart more than 4 days... sad) after which we'll be going back to school in provo! needless to say, i'm beyond excited/happy/anxious/ecstatic!!!!

oh yeah. the announcement.

2010-01-06T11:19:00.003-07:00

so this morning i did my normal blog-check thing where i just look around to see what everyone is up to and i realized it's cori's birthday. so i texted her. duh. but after the general "happy birthday!" "thanks!" thing she asked me about what my big news is. oh yeah. shoot. i had completely forgotten that people actually read this and are probably wondering about that last post. so here it is.

deeeep breath.

i'm done with byu.

for now at least.

i've been in the constant state of panic lately with trying to figure out what i'm doing with my life and it finally came down to my dad saying (in all of his wisdom and understanding) "well then sis, why don't you just come home?" and i am going to do just that. i have applied to EITC for the dental assisting program and have also deferred my place here at the Y just in case. i may sound like a confused little girl but guess what? i am. i will be heading home as soon as i get this rotten housing contract figured out and i will stay there at least through the summer. sounds random? oh, it is. sounds crazy? yeah, most definitely. but i think its just what i need. time to get my head screwed on right. so there it is, my big announcement. i'm dropping out of byu. for now.

p.s. the wallet was indeed stolen. i wish i could just kick the person that took it. really really hard. it is such a PAIN getting everything figured out with the bank and the police station and all the payments i have due... ugh. and the kicker? they spent $81 before i stopped my card... $20 of that was spent at KFC. fatties.

really?

2010-01-01T23:11:00.003-07:00

this week has been an emotionally and physically exhausting one. i'm beat. and to top it off, my wallet is lost, misplaced, or stolen. fantastic. however, i hope everyone else is having a better start to their 2010. i'll have some pretty gigantic news to share soon, but you'll all just have to wait until its set in stone. i don't like counting my chickens before they hatch... or something like that.

reverting back...

2009-12-11T00:35:00.002-07:00

Hi my name is Amy and I have a problem...

I'm turning back into a photoshop junkie.

In high school I had to use photoshop for 4 years for yearbook so I became fairly proficient but the 2 years between then and now has caused me to become a tad bit rusty. Well, a lady that I did some photos for requested that I make her some Christmas cards and I agreed so I went to Adobe.com and got the free 30 day trial of photoshop. I'm hooked again. I've been playing around on it ALL NIGHT. I made my new backgrounds for both this blog and my photography blog (check it out here) and a Christmas card for my roommates and me with the hankerin' to do even MORE.

I think I need help.

Happy Holidays! :)

yesh, i'm a 12 year old girl.

2009-11-21T11:01:00.003-07:00

You wanna know where I was at 3:15 am on November 20? Well duh, watching NEW MOON! We did it as kind of a birthday celebration for Heather and Nancy (their birthday is really on Sunday) and it was a hoot. I learned a couple things though, like that I am not in any way a pleasant person at 3 in the morning or that even the "older crowd" that went to the later showing feels the need to squeal everytime Taylor Lautner's abs filled the screen. It was a good time ;)

Amanda, Nancy, Me, Brittnee

Team Emmett alllll the way! (I like 'em tough and sparkly!)

Brittnee's masterpiece, she copied the flower from the New Moon cover

The supid Cinemark people made us wait outside even though there was NOBODY in the lobby. I was so stinkin' cold!

Heather, Brailee, and Brittnee in the lobby (FINALLY) waiting for them to let us in our theater! So much excitement!

The whole 3 am thing just isn't for us. As Amanda says, "We look like DEATH"

Overall New Moon was a pretty good movie... there are a couple cheesy parts but that's just a given, it was WAY better than Twilight though!

breaking the sterotype.

2009-11-16T14:37:00.002-07:00

I really don't know if there is a legitimate reason for me to be writing this particular post, maybe I'm just fed up with a couple things... I feel the need to break up one of these silly stereotypes that goes along with being a single 19 year old girl at BYU.

Guess what?

The boys around this place?

They really don't date.

They're in fact, really stupid when it comes to this particular matter.

I have been here now for three semesters and when I go home and that inevitable "Hey are you engaged yet?" question pops out of someone's mouth I just want to laugh. No, no I am not. By no means am I the girl that is hunting for her eternal companion, I am, however, the girl that gets sick of sitting around and waiting for that magical day when all the BYU boys will live up to all the hype and just starting asking girls on dates. I don't know what it is but it seems like boys assume that if they ask a girl on just one date then it means commitment, or even worse, a clingy whiney girl that they'll have to deal with. So untrue. A date is just supposed to be a fun way to get to know new people; it doesn't need to be pricey, elaborate, or last for hours. I guess this is just something that's been bugging me... I mean, I even caved and did the asking last weekend. Is it too much for a girl to want to be taken out every once in a while? Really?

my favorite day of the year*

2009-11-13T16:04:00.003-07:00

*except for my birthday and christmas

Today (Friday the 13th) is national To Write Love On Her Arms day! I cannot even tell you how much I love this organization... TWLOHA is dedicated to helping teens through really tough issues like depression, self-injury, and suicide. I love supporting this cause since its such a hush-hush thing but most teens will experience some form of depression in their lives and this is an organization completely dedicated to making sure that those that struggle know that they have support. So I just wanted to get the word out there, remember to be supportive, open up and discuss these tough issues.

"WAKE UP, YOU'RE ALIVE, WE'RE ON YOUR SIDE"
-Lovedrug-

look up.

2009-10-25T23:52:00.002-06:00

hahaha. ok, so i haven't written on my blog in forever and tonight i decided to sit down and actually write an update just to let everyone know i'm doing ok... well, instead i decided to go make a stick family thing. except i decided to do apartment 109. so there we are :) in all our stick figure glory. i think we look fabulous.

disappointment happens

2009-09-28T22:50:00.002-06:00

apartments leak. and sometimes gush.

boys will never grow up.

jobs are given to other people. even though the guy told me i'm perfect for it.

professors still give homework even if i don't feel like doing it.

plasma centers give me track marks on my arms all for the sake of grocery money.

BUT...

the biggest disappointment in my life is...

i couldn't find the right kind of tortillas at walmart.

ugh.

its a hard-knock life, eh? :)

this is the place.

2009-09-15T16:48:00.003-06:00

Alot of people ask me why I chose to come to BYU. When I get direct questions like that I never know how to answer... Do I joke about how it's all about football? Do I tell them the truth and tell them it was a completely random decision? I usually just say "Oh, cause they have really good programs."

Right now I can tell you I KNOW why I am here.
This is a special place.

Guess who spoke to us at Devotional today?

Yeah, I got to sit there, with the rest of the student body, and listen to our Prophet speak directly to us. And I can tell you without a doubt that he loves us.

I only got one picture of the Mariott on my phone because I didn't have a real camera, but look at how many people were there. It was packed.

Now tell me THAT isn't a legit reason for me to be here.

alive.

2009-09-08T17:11:00.002-06:00

for all of you who may not have heard, i am indeed alive. i know it looks like i have been lazy with blogging but that's only because i'm trying not to be lazy on everything else... i.e. school or something like that. hm. oh well. i will get around to posting russia pictures eventually! in the meantime, go check out my photography blog to hear some happy stuff! =) www.amyrobinsonphotography.blogspot.com

on your mark, get set....

2009-08-17T08:57:00.002-06:00

This week is going to be a pretty crazy one with all the packing, cleaning, moving, and traveling but I am SO READY for it! I can't believe I'm trying to squeeze so much into 5 short days and I just hope that I make it through ;) Today through Wednesday is packing and cleaning and just general preparation for the big move so when Thursday morning rolls around I can just hop in my car and get down to Provo! I am so excited to see my new apartment and get everything settled in so that on Friday I can head to SLC and board my plane! So much in so little time... But like I said, SO READY.

in case you haven't heard...

2009-08-12T21:52:00.003-06:00

in exactly 8 days i will be traveling 16ish hours, starting from salt lake and landing here...

oh, i'm sorry, do you need a bigger hint? how about this...

just to make sure i'm being perfectly clear, does this help? ;)

yes, that's right folks... little amy from small town idaho is going to RUSSIA! i cannot even put into words how excited i am for this trip. i haven't even been out of the country before! i'm so lucky i got this job as a nanny this summer, not only has it been VERY educational, but there are perks like, oh i don't know, A FREE TRIP TO RUSSIA! i will leave early next friday (the 21st) and i will be coming back the 30th. do not worry, i will take MANY pictures. and as crazy as it is, i am almost (note, ALMOST) as excited that before i leave the country i get to move my stuff back to this place...

simple as that

2009-07-28T00:00:00.003-06:00

All I have to say is...

I want to get back to Provo ASAP. I miss these girls like crazy.

also...

2009-07-22T14:44:00.000-06:00

CONGRATS to Aunt Tani and Uncle Chad... I'm so excited for that little BOY!

dirt. mosquitoes. stinky clothes. must be time for the family reunion!

2009-07-22T12:45:00.007-06:00

Last week was the annual Draper Family Reunion, and instead of our regular spot in the Star Hope campground we were in the Wild Horse campground this year I got there Thursday with Uncle Randy, Aunt Shannon, and Trace and Shawn's family. It was tons of fun (like always!) and even though I only took a few pictures we all had a blast. Oh, and I'm still kicking myself for not taking my big camera. Stupid...

Me and Alicia in the trailer.

'Lis and Aunt Shannon

Aunt Tani and her wonderful glowsticks.

Ben LOVES to take pictures.

Grandpa Jack

Grandma Bonnie

Ashllyn is NOT camera shy... at all.

Alicia kept talking about "the narrow rough road" and I thought that's just what she was calling it so I kept teasing her about it until we were walking up to go geocaching there was this sign that actually designated it as a narrow rough road.

My first time geocaching (if you don't know what it is just google it!) This is what the boxes look like, I thought they were so cool, I'm considering getting one just for the heck of it.

The group (minus me of course) on our first geocaching excursion.

Uncle Randy and our first little treasure, a Puss in Boots figurine. Score!

Cody, Dad, me, and Alicia.

This was round 2 of geocaching and Ben came along this time, too!

Round 2 group

On the way back down there were some waterfalls along the trail and so we stopped at this one to play around in the water. Well, they played, I sat on the rock and took pictures.

Woot! We traded the Puss in Boots for a duck on a scooter. This geocaching business is lucrative I tell ya =)

Like I said, I didn't take many pictures but i'm sure you can navigate your way to Tracy, Michelle, or Aunt Tani's blogs for more detail. Also, apologies to the family, I swear I wasn't trying to be anti-social the whole trip, but those naps are just too good! haha. Thanks for the fun!

always playing catch-up

2009-07-13T13:25:00.004-06:00

I'm horrible at staying up to date with my blog. Blame it on the job I guess. Anyways, this is all from this past week which includes FOURTH OF JULY! Oh how I love the 4th. Honestly, it could very well be my very favorite holiday. It started on the 3rd when we had our annual BBQ at Uncle Randy's house. I snapped some pictures but mostly just of the volleyball game...

I love this picture of Hannah with her nose pressed up against the netting around the trampoline. She's adorable.

(Notice how cute and photogenic Craig and Cori's kiddos are)

Then fireworks at our house! I had fun with the shutter speed on my camera and these sparkler pictures turned out pretty awesome.

On the 4th I went up to the Idaho Falls parade with my mom and Ky like always. Just a few shots that I thought looked neat...

Then last night at dad's house we used up the last of the sparklers. I'm pretty proud of this one because I wrote my name out backwards instead of flipping the photo. =) Talent.

I believe I originally named this a "Tube of Sparklerness" but my dad also called it a Sparkler Slinky. Either way, pretty cool lookin'.

Last night there was also an AMAZING thunder and lightning storm. SO PRETTY. I remember when I was little I would go downstairs when I was scared of the lightning and my dad would always be sitting in a chair in front of the big kitchen window just watching the storm. I never understood it back then but now I see why he did, lightning is such a beautiful act of nature. But, I learned how stinkin' difficult it can be to snap a picture of it. My arms starting hurting from standing on my mom's back porch with my camera ready to catch a picture. I need quicker reflexes! I did nab this one though...

weekend getaway

2009-07-01T12:10:00.002-06:00

This weekend Alicia and I went on a little "adventure" down in Utah and it was tons of fun! Friday night we stayed with Aunt Tani and her family and it was great fun. Aunt Tani, Alicia, and I stayed up late watching SYTYCD on youtube and eating Frosty's! Then Saturday Alicia and I drove to Coalville to go see Britt (my roommate). I'm so glad Alicia came with me, it was great! Hope she's not TOO weirded out by how Brittnee and I act together! haha.

These pictures are out of order, and I'm not going to fix it. That takes way too much time...

Our time in Coalville! Such a cute little town...

You may recognize this uber famous salon from one of their most prestigious customers...
"I already get my hair cut at the Cuttin' Curral" - Napoleon Dynamite

Stinkin' amazing rainbow in front of Aunt Tani's house on Friday night

Ashllyn! I love her!

We decided to have fun with the shutter speed on my new camera and a glowstick. In this picture you can see that Alexys spelled "MOM" in the air

On the way home Alicia and I stopped in Logan

pretty please

2009-06-29T01:00:00.003-06:00

So I have made a step in my life that will hopefully help me come closer to my dream of becoming a photographer. My most recent purchase, a Nikon D60, is my new favorite thing. Ever. So I have jumped head first into this and I hope that it works out well for me. I have created a new blog to keep you updated on my passion. Check out www.amyrobinsonphotography.blogspot.com Your support would mean the world to me. Spread the word, let me use you as a model, critique my work. Every little bit helps.

(not so) good morning

2009-06-19T11:31:00.003-06:00

This morning I woke up to Max's voice in my room at 7, which is bad... This only happens when there is something wrong with Ben. Since my room is downstairs in the basement I can't ever hear if Ben is crying or anything so Max is kind enough to be my eyes and ears up there. Well, as opposed to the regular "Amy, Ben is crying" I heard, "Amy, Ben is throwing up in his bed!" Awesome. The first thing I do is get on the phone with Melissa, before I'm even to Ben's room. I knew I was going to need help/moral support. Here's a little secret, I DON'T DO VOMIT. EVER. But lucky me, Ben picked the morning when his dad was out of town (of course) which left me to fend for myself in this nasty situation. I went in and poor little Ben looked so sad and sick and I couldn't help but feel so bad for him. So I sucked it up, got Ben on the couch with a puke bowl, a blanket, and a towel under his head and started cleaning up the mess. Well, wouldn't you just assume it would stop there? Of course not. Then Sam comes out to me and tells me that her stomach doesn't feel good either. Great. So I get her the same set-up as Ben on the other couch. Poor kids. I finally got a second so I called their dad just to let him know what was going on and to just let him know that I was going to give Ben some Motrin for his fever. Luckily, he understood my aversion to kid puke and agreed to let their mom (who isn't usually at the house) come over and take care of them. She came over, but not before Ben and Sam took turns barfing on different sides of the room. My first actual crisis (besides the time Sam had a bloody nose so bad that the basement looked like a crime scene) and I'm doin' ok. The little munchkins are fine now, too. Whew.

the trouble with boys.

2009-06-18T14:02:00.002-06:00

all boys ever do is complicate things. and i mean BOYS. because most of the guys i've dated are just that, boys. i need to find a man. haha, weird to say, but true. anybody know any non-clingy but loving, strong but sweet, handsome but humble, funny but not obnoxious men?! cause if they really do exist, i need to find me one. =) is that too much to ask?

lazy summer

2009-06-17T16:48:00.003-06:00

It's June 17, and cloudy with random rain showers. What? All this weather nonsense has led to quite the lazy summer for me and the kids I'm nannying. Not to say that we don't play outside most everyday but it's been so crazy we haven't even bothered to run through the sprinklers! Or go get snow cones! Or set up the little pool! Where is all the summertime fun from when I was little!? Well, at least the two older kids are in swim lessons and they are enjoying that quite a bit. I don't mind it much either, Ben and I just sit on the bleachers and relax. I just want some sunshine and summer fun!

Ben and me at the swimming pool. Like how my hair looks kind of wavy? Darn humidity.

Just in case you haven't seen the ceiling of the Blackfoot Swimming Pool lately... it's nasty. I had to take a picture to show Kylee.

duh

2009-06-10T14:35:00.003-06:00

I've never really been one to get hooked into "The Bachelor" or "The Bachelorette" but this season I have quite enjoyed watching Jillian's little romantic adventure. Through all the episodes I always find cute little aspects of different guys and I must admit... for a while there I was quite attached to David (who ended up being a tactless disrespectful bugger). However, there have been two guys I have been IN LOVE with from the very beginning...

Michael: the absolutely adorable break dance instructor that I've always thought was cute but on Monday's episode I fell head over heels for when he told the other guys he was mad he didn't get time with Jillian when other guys were lying to her and had girlfriends because he told them "I have a crush on that girl" Cuuuute!

Jake: the amazingly beautiful pilot from texas. umm hello? isn't that one obvious!? last time Jillian talked to him she told him he was being "too perfect" and that it's ok to be himself but why can't she see that that's just him... PERFECT. as if you couldn't tell by the baby blues and crooked, dimpled smile just look at how he treats her, even when she's not around!

So to me, it's like, "DUH JILLIAN!" these are the two to be watching! but she is spending all her time with nasty mcnast WES. sickkkk. Haha, geez, why am I not the Bachelorette!?

the first one...

2009-06-08T11:58:00.004-06:00

Saturday was a first for me and my group of friends from high school... our first bridal shower for one of us! AHH! We're getting old! My friend Burke is getting hitched in a couple weeks and it was great for all of us to get together one last time before we're all old married women! =)

Alyssa and Sonja ripping paper behind their backs into the shape of wedding dresses

Alyssa's dress

Bai's umm, creative dress

Burke judging the competition

Burke's embarrassed look at the present we got her ;)

Alyssa and Sonja being reeeeally excited

"What's the feather for?!"

It's always good to know that some things will never change...

ahhh!

2009-06-01T11:12:00.001-06:00

hellooooo edward and jacob.
it needs to be november.
now.

the land of enchantment

2009-05-28T08:41:00.004-06:00

Last weekend I took my very first trip all by myself...

yeah, it's a big deal.

So I went to Albuquerque, New Mexico to visit my roommate Amanda and my boy Casey. I flew down on Saturday morning and stayed until Monday afternoon. I think I did pretty well traveling alone and I didn't even scream or squeal when my plane hit turbulence. I feel like such a big girl. Haha. While I was in New Mexico I got to try "real New Mexican" food (a must, according to Amanda), did a little shopping (got the cutest new shorts!), met the whole APX crew that Casey works with, and walked around the Albuquerque temple. The temple is absolutely gorgeous! Right as we were driving up to it there was a rainbow directly over it- pretty much perfect. It was nice to get to see both Amanda and Casey and the trip was actually very relaxing. I'm glad I went and now they both owe me a trip to Idaho! =)

here's the low-down

2009-05-21T12:41:00.007-06:00

OK, so although I'm INCREDIBLY disappointed in America for picking Kris last night, I have picked my sad little head off the ground enough to blog.

To kind of catch up, last monday was my friend Nick's farewell dinner and it was pretty sad. Nick has been a brother to me and all of my friends for just about forever! He will be an amazing missionary in Canada though and I'm so proud of him!

That same night Ashley, Alexa, Bailey, and I drove up to Idaho Falls to see our friend Brianna who is pregnant! She is the first out of our friends to be married and to start a family so it's pretty exciting for all of us! We just kept squealing about how adorable her little baby bump is and how happy we are for her. I can't wait to see her adorable little girl!

Last night I made the most delicious dinner I think I've attempted thus far in the nannying gig. Homemade chicken taquitos! I was pretty impressed with myself. And the kids actually ate them! That in itself is a large accomplishment. Click HERE for the recipe!

I also got to go watch Alicia's dance recital last night. I love dance recitals!!! Anyways, of course Alicia did AWESOME and I was super proud of her!

Nannying is going OK overall, just a few minor things here and there to deal with but nothing I can't handle! I am super lucky I'm so close to home though, it's keeping me sane! And it always helps that I have my mom and Melissa to call when things get a little overwhelming. Lis just laughs at me when I call her from Wal*Mart to beg for advice on how to keep little ones' mouths closed, like when Ben (the 3 year old) was screaming "I need to fart!!!" for the majority of the time on our last trip. *blush* I can't exactly just yell "IT's OK! HE'S NOT MINE!"

Tonight "So You Think You Can Dance" starts and I am SO. EXCITED. Kylee and I LOVE that show! Woo!

Just a random thought, tonight is graduation at the high school. I can't believe I've been out for a full YEAR now! It's crazy but I don't miss high school all that much, but dang time flies!

ONE YEAR AGO...

That's about it for now... I'm still alive!

my vote

2009-05-20T09:04:00.002-06:00

hecks yeah.

how redundant {thank you}

2009-05-13T21:34:00.004-06:00

(bonus points for anyone that can name the movie i am referring to in my title!)

so kylee already blogged this story but i must re-tell it because it made our whole night happy sooo....

kylee and i were just sitting here relaxing on her adorable red sofa when all the sudden there was a knock at her door, it was a lady with a couple kids and a box in her hands, she handed it to me and said some stuff about ky's stuff always ending up at her apartment a few buildings over. so i checked it and sure enough there was our aunt tani's adorable hand writing so kylee was SUPER stoked! she rips it open and there was some of the letter blocks that aunt tani makes, each were wrapped but they were marked with a number so kylee would know the order. well we open #1 and its an M, so we were like "oh, how cute, McKenna!" but the next letter was an E...

umm, merry christmas maybe? the colors WERE red white and black... it could work...

the next letter is an L.

MEL...?

next comes a C.

kylee is sounding it out, "MELC... MELC..."

then it hit me, i just leaned over and flipped the "M" to a "W".

HAHAHA. WELCOME!!!! of course!

it was HEE-larious. i love good times like these. =)

i'm drawing a blank...

2009-05-12T09:14:00.002-06:00

i have searched the deepest crevices of my mind, i truly have... and i have not a single entertaining thing to blog about. so i'll share some pictures that we took the other day at the park. the goal of this little adventure was to get some pictures to put in a frame for their mom and i did end up getting some really nice shots (with my little canon point-and-shoot i might add) but these are some goofy ones. i'm really starting to get attached to these kids and even though i get frustrated its a good experience and i've realized that it will be even easier when i have my own!

and that's how she became... ThE nAnNy

2009-05-05T08:42:00.003-06:00

I know you have all been sitting on the edge of your seats for this one... my first post as a NANNY. I started this new adventure yesterday and so far it has gone pretty well. I am still in Idaho so it's not some HUGE change or anything but I am now living with a family that consists of three children (ages 3, 6, and 9) and their dad. I am so glad I can be here for these kids during this crazy time in their lives. Their mom has been battling with a substance problem for a while now and finally the dad took custody of the kids and is now raising them himself. These kids are adorable and I only have to get semi mean with them, just a few "Do you want to go in a time out"s and "Don't talk to me like that"s. I will keep you posted but I have a feeling this is going to be a pretty easy summer.

ALSO... the little 3 year old is in the process of potty training (kinda late, but he's getting there) does anyone have any tips? cause let me tell you a little somethin'... 3 year old poop in a pullup is my kryptonite.

FReSHMaN YeaR!!! {a brief history in photographs}

2009-04-29T10:38:00.008-06:00

these are just photos that represent a small portion of my crazy first year as a college student... maybe some explanations are needed but I think it's more fun just to make you try to guess what the heck we were doing... =) I miss good ol' Provo already and all my friends but I'm so happy I'm home for a much needed break!

so i guess this is it...

2009-04-24T01:26:00.002-06:00

Have you ever had that feeling that as you are doing something that it couldn't possibly be actually happening? Well, I am packing up. My freshman year of college is done. This is nuts. I look back on this past year and it seems so surreal that a whole year ago I was graduating high school and waiting so impatiently for COLLEGE! I was emailing my roommates and feeling so "grown up". I am here to tell you that I am still a kid, I have learned some seriously tough lessons, and I still have a whole bunch of growing to do. This year has been a fantastic one though and I can only think of a few small things I would have changed. Real life is rough, but amazing at the same time. I have decided to compile a small list of the "Big Lessons" I have learned this past year and if you have any further advice or tips go ahead and let me know... I can use all the help I can get! =)

BIG lesson #1
You cannot choose your roommates; however, you can choose how you interact with the ones you get...*

I can honestly say that this was my biggest trial of the year: roommates. I didn't know any of the girls I would be living with and it turned out to be quite the interesting experience. I lived with a girl I shall call "E". We were polar opposites and it was clear from the beginning that we would have some problems. This girl was all those bad roommate stereotypes rolled into one. She had poor hygiene, she was extremely passive aggressive, and she blamed all of her problems on us. I am ashamed to admit that for the two semesters that I lived with her I never dealt with the problem like I probably should have but I learned a great deal of patience from E. I discovered that even when I get frustrated to the point of tears I can still hold my tongue and walk away from the problem.

BIG lesson #2
Friends will show up in unexpected places...

I have never been one to worry about making friends since I grew up in such a small town but as I came to BYU I became extremely aware that nobody knew or cared who I was. I was scared of becoming the lonely girl that sat in her room every night but through unexpected events I found several friends that I absolutely adore. My very first day of school I met Jon when we were both lost for the same class, Amanda and I bonded because as it turned out Stephen (Elder Sparks) took her friend to prom in New Mexico, Megan and I bonded over a mutual dislike for a certain teacher, Torri and I could have sworn we knew eachother from somewhere besides our Communications class but still haven't found a connection... The list goes on. I'm so glad I have met these people and can call them friends!

BIG lesson #3
Money does not grow on trees...

I think this one is pretty self-explanitory. Being a full time student without a steady income and a tendancy to shop when I'm stressed is a real eye-opener in the "real world".

BIG lesson #4
My family is the best support system EVER...

I can't express what a great feeling it is to be able to call any one of my parents or siblings and just talk. I love them ALL. I never thought I would miss Idaho but I had those moments when I just want to hop in the car and drive 'til I got home... so instead of burning all that precious gas I would just pick up the phone and instantly be reminded of the wonderful family I have that was so proud of me for being in college and loves me unconditionally.

BIG lesson #5
It's OK to be confused...

I'm one indecisive little girl... I came here with the dream of being an Engineer and about two weeks in I decided I wanted to pursue Graphic Design. Once I let that idea sit for a while I changed my mind yet again to Advertising which is where I am now but there is no telling when I might switch. At first this panicked me. What kind of person doesn't know what kind of major suits them best? Oh, guess what... a large majority of college students. Whew. Good thing i'm not crazy.

BIG lesson #6
Studying ACTUALLY pays off...

Yeah, another obvious one... but really, back in high school there was no study technique involved. I could cram for a test 5 minutes before and get that A that I thought I deserved. Boy, what a shock when I came here and actually had to put forth effort to even obtain a B! My first semester's GPA was disappointing to say the least but this last semester I really kicked my bum into gear and I think it paid off!

Well those are the big ones I can think of for now. I loved almost every minute of my Freshman year and I can't wait to come back next year! Tomorrow I think I will try to do a little "memories" post of all the good times this year so make sure you check it out... I'm sure I can find some pretty wicked sweet pictures! =)

*even though I didn't pick her... I couldn't have asked for a better roommate than Brittnee. Proof that sometimes you can get an awesome stranger! I guess it's just all about luck...

2009-04-14T19:31:00.006-06:00

I am warning you right now, this post will be long, and there will be lots of pictures involved and if you're anything like me and you HAVE to read the whole post I apologize.

Right, now that I have warned you I shall begin sharing all the details of my wodnerful LOOONG weekend. (think like 5 day weekend). It started out with a wonderful Thursday, I went to Kylee and got my hair colored. I was looking for something a bit more "spring" so she gave me all over highlights with my pink strip chnging to PURPLE. I absolutely love it! If you need color done, Ky is the person to see! She amazes me. After my hair appointment I met up with Lindsay, one of my best friends, and we headed over to the classic Civic Auditorium (if you didn't sense the sarcasm there, I am pointing it out now. I hate the Civic.) Now I am going to share a little secret with you... if I were to make a list of my favorite things to do, going to concerts would be right up there with breathing and sleeping. No joke. I absolutely adore going to concerts. Anyways, so yes, this trip was all about a concert. Jack's Mannequin to be specific. Jack's Mannequin is AMAZING.

Linds and I waiting in the rain! Ugh... only for a concert...

This is Thriving Ivory, the band that is touring with Jack's Mannequin (hereby referred to as JM) they were GREAT. I had heard them before but I wasn't too crazy about them but wow, when a band can win you over at a live performance... that is impressive.

AHHHHH. Meet Andy. lead singer for JM. He's absolutely 100% amazing. Pure talent. He makes me melt like a popsicle on the 4th of July.

(my apologies for the grainy photos.)

OK, Ashley is oozing with talent. It drives me nuts because I wish I could be more like her but I don't mind the perks of having such an amazing friend at times like this... YEAH, SHE MADE THIS PURSE JUST FOR ME.

This is my favorite detail of the purse, the lace on the inside pocket. It's very "me".

Ben and Jenny and I got to have a night to just hang out while Dad and Lis were celebrating their anniversary. It was great, we even had a "4 Dollar Night" where we went to the grocery store and we each got 4 dollars to spend on any dinner we want. Ben is the funniest boy to shop with, everything he saw he would grab and be like "How much would I have left if I bought THIS!?"

Saturday I took Z to McDonalds and that little goober, when he opened his cheesburger he looked down and in the cutest nine year old sarcastic voice I've ever heard he goes, "Well, THATS not a totally squished cheeseburger." What a little dork!

Saturday night I spent with A-Dub (also known as Ashley) and it was way fun. I love that girl.

our friendly form of graffiti

taggity tag tagger

2009-04-06T17:26:00.001-06:00

8 People I Tag:

1.Amanda

2. Rebecca

3.Brittnee

4.Ryan

5.Ashley

6.Amber

7.Nancy

8.Tracy

8 Things I am Looking Forward to:

1. THE SEMESTER BEING DONE in 2.5 weeks.
2. Making Money this summer
3. Having time to take naps
4. The Jack's Mannequin/Thriving Ivory concert on Thursday
5. Getting my next letter
6. Wedding season! Haha, I love looking at everyone's announcements
7. Being home for the summer
8. My Sephora package to get here

8 Things I Did Yesterday:

1. Woke up... (super important)
2. Made German pancakes
3. Watched Conference downstairs
4. Showered
5. Ate salmon that Rebecca made. mmm
6. Wrote papers for Marriage Prep
7. Wrote a Religious Speech for English
8. Texted

8 Things I Wish I Could do:

1. Krump (hahaha Aunt Tani)
2. Go tanning
3. Concentrate
4. Find a decent boy
5. Sleeeeeeeeeep
6. Sew
7. Write cuter
8. Pass all my finals =)

8 Shows I Watch:

1. Lost
2. The Office
3. ANTM (America's Next Top Model)
4. Engaged and Underage
5. uhhh.... I don't watch anything else...

you'd think i had time for this...

2009-04-05T15:32:00.005-06:00

Ok, just a quick weekend update since I have homework to be doing...

Dad, Lis, and the kids came to Utah to see me on Thursday night/Friday. It was lots of fun, we had dinner at Aunt Tani's Thursday and then Alicia came to spend the night with me in Provo. Friday we did a little tour of my cute town and went to lunch. Thanks for coming to see me guys! It was tons of fun and a much needed visit!

Saturday morning Jamie's dad got tickets for Amanda, Jamie, Brittnee, Rebecca, and me to go to General Conference in Salt Lake. It was my first time ever seeing Conference live and it was amazing! I love feeling the Spirit so strong that it gives me goosebumps... such a great feeling.

It's probably not the best thing for me to take pictures of the protestors but I couldn't resist, I just don't understand their mind-set...

holy holi

2009-03-29T03:01:00.003-06:00

ahh! Today was SO. COOL. It was Holi, which is a Hindu festival of colors. There is a Hindu temple in Spanish Fork... Amanda is seriously crazy about Indian culture so we had to go and see what this was all about. It turned out to be pretty darn fun and surprisingly popular for being in Utah.

Fresh and Clean...

The Hindu Temple in Spanish Fork

Yeah, I got hit with a little green. The color is just corn starch.

It was kind of a HUGE deal. In that middle pavilion there was a band playing and this is about half the crowd. People were even crowd surfing!

Me and Britt

All the girls! Brittnee, Amanda, Jamie, Me, and Nancy

This view reminds me of Aladin, ya know when the tower breaks off and he's in the snow!?

Goofing off. I'm surprised my tongue wasn't green, too.

It felt like I had sand in my hair because the powder was so thick on my scalp. Sickkk. You should have seen my shower water after...

By the temple! Amanda of course is in an Indian pose!

i have a problem.

2009-03-27T00:35:00.000-06:00

a very serious one mind you.

i am...
ugh.
a procrastinator.

this is not good for many reasons. one of which happens to be the fact that finals are coming up in about three weeks and i have a BUNCH of stuff to be writing, reading, and studying.

this is my "oh crap" moment.

help.

neon neon neon

2009-03-21T13:21:00.000-06:00

last night was NEON NIGHT at studio 600 in SLC and it was tons of fun!

stoked out of my miiiind!

2009-03-18T21:19:00.000-06:00

i am one excited girl! this next week is z's spring break so my mom decided it would be fun to take him and kylee down to st. george for a couple days. well, LUCKY ME, provo is on the way so they are going to stop and stay with me sunday night! i am just stoked out of my britches! haha. i didn't know if they were gonna make it to see me this school year but they're making the trek just in time!

and guess what?! double the excitement! the week after next is firth's spring break and dad and lis and the fam are probably going to come pay me a visit too! i've never pegged myself as a homebody by any means but i sure do miss my families! i can't wait to see them all and show them all that beautiful p-town has to offer! i'll let y'all know how it goes!

artsy fartsy *WARNING tons of pictures! =]

2009-03-14T19:47:00.000-06:00

I shouldn't be blogging... there are a million other things that I have to do. HOWEVER, I must post all these fun pictures from yesterday. We turned our Friday the thirteenth into a little "craft day"!

First of all, the sun was shining outside and the weather was simply fantastic so Amanda, Brittnee, and I decided to make our shirts for the Neon Night next week at Studio 600.

Then, we stayed outside to enjoy the rest of the warm sunshine and found ourselves reminiscing about our old cheer days in high school. This is Britt displaying her tumbling. Pretty darn good for not even warming up if you ask me...

After 6 months of making fun of it, Brittnee and I broke down and tried "Burger Supreme", a sketchy looking burger place right by our apartments. We were shocked at how busy it was and were pleasantly surprised at how yummy those greasy burgers were!

One more craft we just HAD to get done was our shirts that we NEEDED to have in order to display our love for the certain addicting show...

happy "birfday" britt

2009-03-13T12:38:00.000-06:00

Tuesday was Brittnee's big one-9 and we had tons of fun celebrating alllll day! I didn't take many pictures but it was a great day, I hope you had fun Britt!

the first picture of the day! taken around 2 am... she might kill me for this one...

cupcakes in britt's favorite colors!

FINALLY

2009-03-09T16:42:00.001-06:00

yep... my new shosies FINALLY got here! after almost a month of waiting UPS delivered them just this afternoon. i am in LOVE with them! they are perfect! exactly what i wanted.

late night musings.

2009-03-07T02:23:00.000-07:00

its 2:43 as i start this... i CANNOT even try to act tired. i hate nights like these. and i shouldn't really mind since tomorrow is saturday but i've tried to be at least somewhat productive these past couple weekends. grrr. so i shall sit and type up the random thoughts in my mind. i figure this is better than starting another letter that will never get finished or sent. though, getting mail is probably the most exciting thing that happens to me. sad, isn't it? i envy girls that get mail all the time. i, however, get to wait months and months for my letters to get replied to. stupid mexican mail system.

anyways... uh... so my little zane man's NINTH birthday was thursday. i really cannot believe it. he's getting so big and so smart and so funny! what a little character he is. i want him to be little forever. wow, how the heck am i going to handle my own kids growing up!?

thats another weird thing to think of. me, with kids. ahhh! i still feel like i'm 12. really. brittnee and i were talking earlier tonight and we were just commenting on how "college girls" used to be so cool to us, and intimidating. but now that we are in this position we feel so... let down. haha.

oooh, so last night brittnee and i took our friends alex and jon on a date and we went to "spoon me" a little hipster fro-yo place here in provo. amazing. absolutely delicious! i fully plan on going back. and apparently fro-yo is all the rage now. in case you didn't know, ice cream is so last season. haha. but really, how many little frozen yogurt botiques can one town have?!

one disappointment of my day is that i have been ANXIOUSLY awaiting the arrival of some shoes i ordered online about a month ago. yes, a month is a very long time but you must understand... these shoes are PERFECTION. custom designed be yours truly. UPS told me they would be here today so i woke up all bright eyed and bushy tailed ready for that box to show up at my door but as i checked the tracking number (for the ten billionth time) it seems they are just sitting in salt lake. really? are you kidding me? my amazing shoes are sitting there, just 45 minutes away and i have to wait until MONDAY for them to get here!? i want to scream. in fact, i believe i let out a little squeal of fury when i read that... i was in english class. oops.

my hair is finally long enough to put up into a little tiny messy bun. that is extremely exciting for me. really. sad, i know.

my iTunes just started playing a song called "heartbeats" by jose gonzalez. not only is it an amazing song BUT it is the background music to one of my favorite commercials ever. we watched it in my communications class and i've been in love ever since. click here to watch it. definitely worth the time. =] they actually dumped 25,000 bouncey balls down the streets of san fransisco. if you have time, look up the "making of" clip too!

ok... i suppose this is enough randomness for one night/morning. but believe me when i say...
i am STILL not tired.

tonight i saw eternity.

2009-03-05T00:08:00.000-07:00

Tonight I had the opportunity to go to the Draper Utah Temple open house. I am still just sifting through all these amazing feelings I had as I walked through such a sacred place... I can tell you without a doubt that I know temples are absolutely essential to our eternal progression. As I walked through the halls I felt like I was home in a very literal way. I remember looking on the walls and I passed a framed copy of "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" hanging and it just hit me... family is what it is all about. Not just my family that I am a part of right now but the one that I will someday create with my husband. As I walked into the sealing room I couldn't help but try to envision what my day will be like, when I get to kneel across that alter and hold hands with the man I choose to be with for eternity or to stand side-by-side and look into that never-ending line of mirrors with him. The thought makes me down right giddy. I came out of that temple tonight with a renewed dedication to the goal I have always carried with me. I will make it there, I will be taught and I will make sacred covenants with my husband and Father in Heaven. Now I just have to wait for that perfect guy. Oh man...

oh yeah, and when i DO find that certain someone, does anyone know how i can get my hands on some of that african cherry wood? oh snap, the woodwork was PERFECT. and we can probably safely assume that i notice that because i've grown up with the father that i have. =)

photo adventures with jaidee

2009-03-01T23:50:00.000-07:00

today i headed a little bit north and went to hang out at aunt tani's house for the day. i was so excited to see jaidee and hear all the hilarious things she says and she didn't let me down one bit. these are just some shots from the mini photoshoot we had. jaidee loves taking pictures, i learned. she even helped me pose for some =) she's a little goober and i love her! ...and her valley girl accent.

me and ashllyn

jaidee begging aunt tani to let us wake ashllyn up from her nap. she followed my instructions and used the pouty face. it worked.

i swear, this is exactly how she posed me. so she took the picture, looked at it, and laughed her little head off at how dumb i look.

this is only one of the many scenic photos jaidee took for me of the living room.

her self portrait

RobinSyth Photography

2009-02-28T22:17:00.000-07:00

Amanda and I got bored Friday and decided that it was nice enough outside to go shoot some pictures since we've been craving some photography. I think they turned out pretty well for being a spur-of-the-moment "hey lets go downtown" kind of thing =) Oh, and some other news... Today we went apartment shopping and we found our new home for next year! I'm pretty stoked. I'll be living with Brittnee, her friend Heather who will be going to UVU, Rebecca, her friend Lisa, and Amanda. Amanda and I will be sharring a room which may be tough for me BUT with her I think I can handle it. haha. We'll be living at Roman Gardens here in Provo. Woo! I'm just glad we found something that everyone can be happy with.

like it?

2009-02-28T12:16:00.000-07:00

so i found my new background at Shel's Scraps. I love it because she doesn't put her logo all over it and all she asks is that you give her credit. Plus, this background makes me feel all ready for Spring! woo! Go check her out, there's tons of cute ones!

I TAKE IT BACK!

2009-02-28T00:05:00.001-07:00

ok, for real.... this is a big deal.... I'm changing my mind about who is more attractive on Lost. Brittnee, our neighbors, and I have only started watching, we're almost done with season two and as it progresses I think I'm falling in love with SAWYER!
ugh... Aunt Tani and Trace, you were right!

hello, handsome.

my new family

2009-02-24T11:37:00.000-07:00

This semester Brittnee and I made a new resolution to go to FHE since we never ever did last semester. It seemed like a nice, obtainable goal but apparently we needed some help because Britt got called to be our FHE "mom". So now, FHE is in our apartment every week and we got some really fun people making it almost impossible to NOT go to FHE (although, somehow... our other 2 roommates seem to find a way... interesting) I'm not going to lie, I'm starting to love Monday nights! Last week we had it on Thursday night since there was no school Monday and we ended up turning our little dinner into a dance party. Way fun! I'm so glad I've discovered the wonders of FHE!

the "dance chain"

Myles from our ward was called over to dance for us

Katelin goofing off

Parker, our "dad"

Brittnee, our "mom"

a video of the "dance chain"

TaggeD

2009-02-22T16:25:00.001-07:00

I was tagged by my Aunt Tani!

***Rules***1. Go to your Picture Folder on your computer or wherever you store your pictures.2. Go to the 6th Folder and then pick the 6th Picture.3. Post it on your bloggy and tell the story that goes with the picture.4. Tag 5 other glorious peoples to do the same thing and leave a comment on their bloggy tellin’ them ’bout it.
I TAG...

Ashley
Andrea
Amber
Ryan
Laura

Ta Da...

This was junior year and Katie K, Alyssa, and I were headed to South Fremont to watch girls' basketball districts. We stopped at Jamba Juice so this was just us demonstrating our love for the delicious smoothies! They always gave me crap for drinking mine so slowly though!

reasons to smile.

2009-02-21T02:15:00.001-07:00

today was just one of those days... I loved it! I'm still in such a great mood and it's past 2 am. so I shall recount a few things that made it especially fabulous... =]

1. I got to sleep in through math this morning since it was just a review
2. I only had TWO classes.
3. I came home and had a rockin' dance party with brittnee
4. I talked to aunt Tani for a while on the phone...she got quite the earful all about my current living situations and how I think Jack is so much better than Sawyer on Lost.
5. Brittnee and I went to explore the Provo mall since we have only been to the Orem one. WAY sweet deal on some cute new flats!
6. Nutty monkey milkshake from Arctic Circle. mmmm.
7. I got some super easy jobs for clean check. sweep the kitchen floor? ok...
8. I received three, yes THREE, letters from Elder Sparks!
9. I went dancing at Studio 600 in SLC and had a blast.
10. And to top it off, I got a ride home from a pretty cute BYU football player =]

so there ya go, an amazing day! oh, and the sun was just a-shinin' away today! Spring is soooo close! I love it! Go ahead, smile. It'll feel awesome I promise!

allred videos

2009-02-17T11:44:00.000-07:00

John Allred singing "Promise"

"All I Had"

A cover of Oasis' "Wonderwall" (as you can hear, everyone loved it and felt the need to sing with... haha. apologies.)

wait! wait! yes i do!

2009-02-13T01:23:00.000-07:00

ok, so I lied... I DO have something to share! Last weekend I went to Rexburg and I got to see John Allred live! For those of you who may not know who Allred is, I would highly suggest looking him up. He's a pretty big deal around Utah and Idaho. His music is amazing, I could listen to it for hours! And he's such a nice guy, he took pictures with us after the show and everything. It was well worth the five hour trip! If you're not sure which song of his to listen to first, try "Look Out", it's my absolute favorite! I'll try to get my videos up tomorrow, it's late and my internet is being stupid. grr. xoxo, amy jo.

for little miss ashley

2009-02-12T19:42:00.000-07:00

so little miss ashley lynn seems to be unhappy that my life is boring lately and i have nothing to blog about so this one is for her. she is a special girl. i love her guts.

too fun

2009-02-04T23:44:00.000-07:00

www.picnik.com
(you can make cool pictures too!)

just a little something.

2009-01-28T00:08:00.000-07:00

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to manifest the glory of God within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
-Nelson Mandela

I just read this quote on Cori's blog. I've heard it, several times I'm sure, before. But as I sit here at my little desk in my little apartment feeling like a little nothing in this big world, it hits me like it never has before. Lately I have been feeling a bit less than spectacular. I feel like no matter where I turn there will always be someone that is smarter, prettier, or better than me. And you know what, there probably will be. HOWEVER, none of those people could be me. Amy Jo. None of them could have the same little quirks that make me who I am. I'm not sure what it is but at this moment I just want to shout it: I AM AMY JO AND I LIKE WHO I AM, I LOVE MY IMPERFECTIONS! I know I'm not perfect but maybe that's what I love the most. There is something for me to do in this world, a job that only I can do. I'm ready for it.

fringe.

2009-01-24T03:11:00.000-07:00

today brittnee and i decided we HAD to have haircuts. we're both trying to grow our a-lines out and its SUCH a pain! but, healthy hair grows fastest so we went in for a trim. while talking to the wonderful girl who cut my hair i decided i wanted something new without being TOO risky. so what other choice did i have? i now have bangs and i love them. in the few hours i've had them i've been told i look older with them. and seriously, anything that can help me look older than 12 is fine by me! =) oh, and apparently it never crossed my mind the first time i colored my hair exactly how hard it is to get back to my natural color so yeah, i'm still stuck with slightly reddish brown hair but the stylist was convinced it was my real color so at least i don't look totally fake! ugh... i wish hair grew faster...

oh how i miss it...

my new favorite distraction

2009-01-15T11:05:00.000-07:00

this is mitchell davis. he makes Livelavelive videos on youtube. every single one of them are hilarious. when i don't feel like doing homework...thats what i watch. =]

quick update

2009-01-09T15:35:00.000-07:00

so yes, i am a blogging slacker. but considering the time that has passed between my last blog and now, not much has happened. i made it through finals week and passed all of my classes! i won't lie, it is a bit of a shock to go from a 4.0 in high school to a far-less-than-perfect gpa in college... however, i still have my scholarship and i am back for round 2! christmas break was fantastic, being home was relaxing and though i was sick for a majority of the time i still had a blast! this semester will be interesting but i'm excited for the surprises life keeps throwing me. hope your holidays were all splendid and that you're doing well! xoxo. amy jo

the big one-9

2008-12-16T01:22:00.001-07:00

oh my gosh. i'm old. haha, ok so maybe 19 isn't really that old, but 20 is sure sneaking up on me quick! haha. i was slightly nervous about my first birthday away from home on sunday but my friends made sure it was a good one! i'm so lucky to have such amazing people surrounding me. i love em! so here are some pictures from the day's celebration activities.

the first official 19 year old picture.

brittnee decorated the apartment for me =]

dustin utilizing all that hair he has!

a birthday cheesecake, just like always!

the "homemade tampon" uhhh which was code-word between
amanda and brittnee for those little cupcakes. so they actually
stuck one in one of the cupcakes. the boys were blushin'.

the gentlemen.

brittnee. who just so happens to be my BFE.
(best friend eternal)
she's the one that made the day so fun!

amanda and jamie from downstairs. oh gosh.

brittnee's gift to me. i've wanted this bracelet forever!!!
mine is the pink one. obviously.

in approximately 17 hours...

2008-11-24T18:40:00.000-07:00

i will be HOME. for longer than 2 days! i can't even explain how amazing it will be. i have so much planned yet it will be absolutely relaxing. i get to see so many people that i miss. i will get to be in the middle of nowhere. i will drive the roads and look at the mountains and smell the scent of home that i miss so much. i hate even admitting that i miss little Firth, but i do! i can't wait to just lay on the couch in the living room and talk to my dad. ah, this is going to be heaven. oh yeah, and the water will taste normal =)

wedding bells...

2008-11-20T19:33:00.000-07:00

last weekend my cousin blake got married to an adorable girl, sam. the wedding was cute and i'm so happy for them! so congrats to blake and sam! here's some pictures from aunt tani's house before the wedding...

its for the cause

2008-11-13T21:48:00.001-07:00

so one more thing roger also got me interested in is To Write Love On Her Arms. it is an amazing organization dedicated to helping those with depression, addiction, those who self-injure, and those who consider suicide. check out www.twloha.com and read through it. there is an awesome story and facts all about the organization. today is the national TWLOHA day so some friends and i showed our support =)

p.s. the website also has adorable products like shirts and hoodies, with the profits going to help the cause. i have a bag that i use to haul my school stuff around and i LOVE it.

o.m.h.

2008-11-13T12:32:00.000-07:00

last weekend was amazing, to say the least. on friday night i went to a SPILL CANVAS concert in ogden. for those of you who don't know, the spill canvas is hands down my favorite band ever. this was my first time seeing them live and i was just about to pass out...they are AMAZING. i went with lindsay, one of my best friends that is going to utah state this year, her boyfriend casey, her sister camille, and their friend kinzie. they are all addicts too.

so, i'm about to my nightly excitement level just seeing them perform and then.... i got to meet them! and have them sign my shirt! and take a picture with me! yeah.... heavenly.

so i drove back to firth friday night after the concert and got there about 2:30 in the morning. i'm pro at the whole driving late thing =) staurday was Jenny's brithday & i cannot believe she is getting so stinkin' old! i love that girl. saturday was also my good friend roger's baptism, the whole reason this weekend even happened for me. i don't even know how to describe roger...he is a completely talented musician, he is one of the happiest people i know, he is brilliant and motivated, he has introduced me to most of the music i now call my favorite... he is such an awesome guy and i am so excited for him! i didn't get any pictures at the baptism but here is just one of roger that i have.

saturday night i was able to go to idaho falls and i got to see sonja! then i got to spend some quality time with my little brother zane who is getting way too big way too fast. he is a goober and loves taking pictures, i guess him and ky must do it alot.

sunday i got to see my ashley!!! and chill with the firth family.

so, last weekend was a blast, i'm gald i got to go and now i'm even more stoked for thanksgiving! which ps, its so weird to me that my semester is almost over! crazy! i'm all registered for next semester but after that i guess we'll have to see what happens...

sorry all.

2008-11-08T22:46:00.000-07:00

i was frustrated. disregard that last post. i've talked about it with a few people, including my dad, and i've chaged my mind. i'll be open to change, i'll trust someone i don't know, i'll be willing to adapt. america is amazing no matter what, and i apologize for being so rash.

halloweenie

2008-11-04T12:54:00.000-07:00

so halloween was a little different in provo, just cause i wasn't at the goshen church trunk-or-treating and i didn't get to sneak up to sister dial's house but it was still fun. the roommates and i sort of procratinated the whole costume thing until the night of so when we went to wal-mart they were pretty much wiped out of all cute costume-y stuff. so in the end, ryan and i were princesses, britt was a cat [kind of], jessica was a secret agent, and shandon was a gangster[?] it was still fun though! oh and yes, that man i'm with in the picture does in fact have a fake mullet...he was also wearing shorty shorts and tall socks but they didn't make it into the photo =)

in case you didn't know

2008-10-28T15:20:00.000-06:00

ryan and i are essentially the same girl. its pretty funny. this picture just illustrates my point. this is us this morning....yeah. kinda crazy.

some pictures from the week

2008-10-26T19:08:00.000-06:00

laying it all out.

2008-10-22T23:40:00.000-06:00

i'm still loaded down. after trying most everything i still feel like i'm sinking in this ocean i didn't know existed. so i'm going to just run through what i'm feeling, maybe being totally straightforward about it will help. it's worth a try, right?

Amy Jo is....

CoNfUsEd?
i have no clue...whatsoever...what i'm doing with my life. i can't decide on a major and i don't know where i'll be next year. i like Provo but i don't have that feeling that i'm supposed to be here. my dad called me "flitty" today, but really, maybe i'm just...

scared.
the idea that my decisions now are going to affect my LIFE and that every semester of school i go through is costing me thousands of dollars... its terrifying. i'm afraid of going about this whole "adult" thing wrong. i'm scared i'm going to miss an opportunity. and i worry about it, which makes me...

TireD
i haven't been on a normal sleep schedule in months. i lay in bed and think, sometimes i cry, sometimes i'm happy, it just depends on the day. i try to picture where i'm going. i try to see if i'm making myself happy. if i'm doing what i'm supposed to. when i lay all night thinking it leads to me being slightly...

iRRitable
i feel bad, but in all honestly, i've been a beast lately. i'm on edge and everything frustrates me. luckily, i haven't taken it out on anyone but myself, but that still isn't good. i've started to break myself down with every passing day. telling myself that i'm not good enough or that i can't do everything that i have planned. i'm hurting myself by doing this. so i've been pretty...

sad.
all of this is just making me overall a very unhappy person. i don't want to be though. i love being happy and feeling genuinely good about myself. but the events in my life as of late haven't exactly been of the joyous sort. but through it all, i have to remind myself that i am extremely...

bLessEd
i have so many blessings that i overlook everyday. i have a family that loves me. a dad that still helps me get through the day. a little sister that knows exactly what to write to me in her letters. a big sister that is constantly reminding me that i CAN do it. i'm at an amazing university. i have endless possibilities of what i can do with my life. i have roommates that stick by me even when i'm grumpy. i have the chance to serve in my ward with amazing girls. i get to look at the mountains and the changing leaves every day and see the world go through its natural stages of beauty. i have friends that still call and text to see how i'm doing. i have the gospel in my life. which always manifests that i am...

A PrincesS
i literally am a daughter of my Heavenly Father. he loves me so much and i know he cares for me. individually. he listens to me when i pray and he lifts my burdens. he worries about what i worry about and cries when i cry. he notices every tear and every sigh. even when i try to tell myself i can do it "by myself" i know that the Lord is helping me. he really does love me. every bit of me. the rebellious part. the goofy part. the sad part. i know that through this trying time in my life, he is there. all i need to do is ask.

so yeah, i'm gonna blubber....

2008-10-19T23:04:00.000-06:00

today in relief society we had a lesson on keeping in touch with our families. and it made me a little sentimental.... i love it here but i miss being home too, watching all the little ones that aren't even little anymore grow up. when i talk to them on the phone i get all sad cause i realize that i'm not there for any of this important stuff in their lives. so i just want them to know that i love them and i think about them ALL the time. so alicia, when you read this, spread the word. also to blubber about... tonight i headed out to craig and cori's house. i love them so stinkin much. it was ethans first birthday so i got to go out for the dinner and celebrations =] it is sooooo nice to be able to just drive out there and relax. when i'm there i can just talk to craig and cori about all my frustrations and they understand every single bit of it. they reassure me that i'm ok and that i'm not abnormal for having this totally confused feeling. tonight craig also gave me a blessing. i'm so lucky that i have him so close by. i have been loaded down with all my worries and stresses and i was honestly getting to the point where i wasn't sure i could handle it anymore. so thank you to craig, he saved the day. =] i love you both so much and i'm blessed to have such amazing family and a wonderful cousin worthy of his priesthood for times like this. i needed it.

oh the studying.

2008-10-09T13:48:00.000-06:00

what do you get when you mix 2 eighteen year old girls, a couple rockstar energy drinks, and a bunch of american heritage notes? yep. one amazing cram session. i'm running on approximately 5 hours of sleep from tuesday night. =] but hey, the good news is that ryan and i both passed our american heritage midterms. be proud.

a very good waste of 10 bucks....

2008-10-07T16:22:00.000-06:00

so ever since i moved out i've been a little more aware of where my money is going and i've been trying my very hardest to cut out non-essentials. BUT i could not resist when the new anberlin cd came out...i hopped right onto itunes and bought it. and i'm completely satisfied. i LOVE anberlin. they are my favorite band everrrrr. so if you're looking for something to spend 10 bucks on, i'd highly suggest it. =]

ooh pretty

2008-09-29T00:17:00.000-06:00

so ever since i joined yearbook my freshman year of high school i've had this obsession with photoshop, its just such a cool program! well ashley's aunt [sherelle] showed her Adobe Lightroom and the information got passed along to me. you can download a free trial at www.adobe.com it is so much fun! you can change lighting effects and general coloring of photos. its so much better if you get new presets for it though so go to google and type in "lightroom presets" and there are tons of free ones. these are just some pictures that i randomly grabbed from my laptop and messed with...

quick update

2008-09-21T23:15:00.000-06:00

wow. so life has been crazy. i lied about having time. haha. but i decided i'd throw a quick catch-up out there just so you know i'm alive! i got a job finally, i'll be working at the deli in macey's so that will be nice to have an income again! classes have been kicking my butt and i have my first tests starting this week. cougar football, as always, rocks my world. the UCLA game was basically amazing and the wyoming game this week wasn't their best performance but they still kicked trash. i've decided its almost like being home just because my football team always wins =] i got put in the relief society presidency last weekend so thats also a new adventure/time taker. its REALLY intimidating but i've also been surviving by telling myself that blessings come with callings. uhm, i can't really think of much more that needs to be told... oh, i love getting mail i decided so for sure throw a letter my way if you get the chance! makes me feel loved =]

fun.

2008-09-09T23:34:00.000-06:00

so i saw this link on amber's page and it seemed pretty fun. it is! give it a try, you just pick the pictures that appeal most to you out of a group and it describes your personality. i mean, its not freakily accurate or anything, but still a fun waste of 5 minutes! just click here: Http://DNA.imagini.net/friends

life is grood. i mean good, and great. great and good.

2008-09-08T16:30:00.000-06:00

so, life in college isn't quite as horrible as i thought. i've been having tons of fun with the roomies, which sometimes is NOT the best thing because we get distracted.... alot... especially during "homework time" oops. but we explored a little bit this weekend and happened to end up at the MTC. never fear, it was well past the missionaries bedtimes and we stayed just by the sign but brittnee, ryan, and i each have a missionary out. not that we're WAITING for but we miss them all. i think britt's might be the worst, aaron went into the MTC the same day we moved in. but anyways, yes, its lots of fun here. even with my 16.5 credits i'm still finding time to goof off. =] oh, and thank you to craig and cori for the sunday dinner yesterday. it was awesome to get to see you guys and the kids! i totally forgot to get pictures but i'm sure we'll be seeing eachother fairly often!

a trip to tani's

2008-09-02T15:04:00.001-06:00

since yesterday was labor day and i didn't start classes until today i decided to take a quick trip north to see aunt tani and the family. lucky for me grandma and grandpa were there too. it was nice to see some family because i'm pretty sure this is the longest i've been without absolutely any. also, happy birthday to grandma today!!! in jace's words, "happy 52nd birthday!!!" =]

p.s. and thank you aunt tani for the sloppy joes, they were delightful.
i told you you'd make me more than ramen!

the new pad...

2008-08-30T14:48:00.000-06:00

as promised, pictures of the apartment. like i said, totally bare. but we're working on it =] my roommates are amazin'! i have ryan[girl] from malad, brittnee from coalville, and emily from orem. emily has been at band camp most of the time but ryan, britt, and i have been having a pretty spectacular time. its pretty fun bonding with them. we stayed up til 2 this morning laughing our heads off. good times. and today is GAME DAY!!!! we're just waiting to leave for the football game =]=]=] not excited or anything....

weird.

2008-08-27T23:42:00.000-06:00

so i'm here. in provo. just me. =/ its still not hittin' me yet. but i know it will. and when it does, it'll hit like a big, huge, monsterous truck. brittnee, ryan, and i went grocery shopping tonight and we were talking about how it feels like we're just "playing house" which is completely accurate. my guess is that i'll start to realize just how it is when i'm sitting in my first college class, surrounded by people i don't know, and the loneliness will hit me. wow, i'm depressing myself. hmm. well, i'll try to post some pictures of the new home tomorrow. =] be warned: its bare.

...its coming!

2008-08-19T22:12:00.000-06:00

its official. the countdown has begun. one week from tomorrow i will be loading up the civic and heading out for my new home! i've been packing up a little here and there for the past couple days and i've got quite the pile going... but it has me in a panic because this isn't even TOUCHING it. i have so much more stuff! oh no. my poor little dorm room will be crammed.

so warped

2008-08-09T19:42:00.000-06:00

eeek. this weekend i went to warped tour in boise! it was so stinkin' fun. i went with jordyn [she's going to byu with me. so 'cited!] kiah, darren, roger, and joe. we had a blast and here's just some pictures and/or videos of our adventure.

[ps...the above band is anberlin. probably one of my favorites EVER. they were amazing live. unlike angels and airwaves...they were not so good =/]

fanatic. in my own way.

2008-08-06T19:41:00.000-06:00

i was just reading cori's blog about going to the breaking dawn midnight release party and i thought i'd share mine. for those of you that don't know, i'm kinda a twilight fan. if i could find a guy like edward cullen i would be in heaven. i think bella is stupid and i wish i had a best friend that was a werewolf... but ANYWAYS you get the point, i like my twilight. alicia and sonja just happen to be fans too so we decided it would be a hoot to go to barnes and noble for the midnight release. we knew the theme was "prom" for it but that didn't appeal to us quite as much as being our regular goofy selves. sonj had the funny idea to make tshirts to wear to the release and we just went with it [note, alicia is too cool for sonja and me. she even refused a shirt!] sonja's shirt said "i ♥ edward" on the front and "bite me...please" on the back while mine said "future mrs. cullen" and "my blood smells better than bella's" hahaha. ya, we think we're pretty funny. so we get to B&N and i swear there was not a single normal person there. everyone was in weird gothic clothes and prom dresses. i can understand the dresses but the all black...? come on. i wanted to yell at everyone that vampire does NOT equal promiscuous devil worshiper! everyone was pretty into it to the point of being slightly...errr... SUPER unfriendly. needless to say, we scooted out pretty quick. luckily hastings was having a party too so we headed over there. when we got there though, the doors were locked because there were too many people in there. shoot. UNTIL the out door opened really quick when someone leaned out to talk to someone outside. yep, we snuck in. and scored a spot in line to kill for. we were about the 4th in our line to get the book. we paid our fifteen bucks and cruised out. home by 12:30 with plenty of time to get my read on. the point of this is though, that yes i am a fan, but not exactly as crazed as the people at our local barnes and noble. and i'm ok with that. i think edward would like me slightly sane. c:

yep. i'm obsessed.

2008-07-27T13:52:00.000-06:00

so the latest guilty pleasure is going to ky's house and watching "so you think you can dance" with her. i love dancing... everything about it. doing it, watching it, whatever. its such an amazing form of expression and i get SO into it! so we've seen a bunch of awesome dances but here's a couple of our favorites. some are funny and some are just flat out inspiring.

roughin' it

2008-07-22T00:51:00.000-06:00

so it was time for the lovely annual family reunion last week. we went to copper basin like usual and it was lots of fun. it was a pretty bummer deal that not that many families could make it but we made do with what we had =] here's some pictures from the week enjoy!

my FAVORITE girls

2008-07-14T22:50:00.000-06:00

so i'm not gonna lie, as soon as i put up the post about my friends alicia and kylee both gave me the "so what am i? chopped liver?" look. so here is my blog for them. they are the ones that have gotten me through EVERYTHING. i love them.

KyleeKristine

my big sister has always been there, even when we were little and we hated eachother sometimes we were sometimes the only ones who understood eachother. weird how that works. we're so opposite yet so much alike its scary. i'll always look up to her [or down, since i'm taller hahaha]
AliciaAnn

oh snap. my little twin. she's a doll face. and ya, we haven't always gotten along but this last year when she popped into high school i realized just much i care about her. i loved being there to watch out for her and we even got to be in the same seminary class all year. [that was so fun] its kinda just hitting us that i'll be gone in 6 weeks and we're getting closer. i'm gonna miss her like crazy! i'll have nobody to quote she's the man with!

JennyLlyn

the wee one. she's adorable in every single way. i always tell her she's going to be the pretty one [not that the other two aren't pretty....its just those dang eyelashes] i'm so sad that she's really growing up. she'll start middle school this year and i wanna cry! she's always been my "sweetie" hahaha, i feel like a grandma when i say it but its true. she's so sweet.

so i need to join a support group...or five...

2008-07-12T00:46:00.000-06:00

i have an issue with becoming a creature of habit. and sometimes, habits just can't be broken in my world. and i always see it, but can't get out of my stupid ruts. help! hahaha.

#1 - spending my money...
you'd think after three summers of working my butt off and not saving my money i would have learned a lesson, but no, i still just spend my hard earned cash like its going out of style. and NOW i see the mistake. i have college, a car, and life to pay for. oops. ramen noodles anyone?

#2 - that darn lead foot...
again, after the first speeding ticket you'd assume i would chill, but i swear its physically impossible for me to stay at the posted speed. i'm not going to give you an exact total of the damage i've done with tickets, but its a few too many. shoot.

#3 - eating junk food...
yum. i could live off taco bell. but everytime i order i can hear my body yelling at me. [sorry!]

#4 - wasting my time...
i'll have a million things i'm stressing out about but i seem to always find something ANYTHING else to do besides what i need to. homework was a bad one for me, cleaning my room always gets shoved aside, and yet i always find time to check my computer. funny how that works.

#5 - giving my heart away...
silly boys. i'm always infatuated with a new one. variety is good though, right? c:

the girls that got me through...

2008-07-08T23:19:00.000-06:00

so yes, i'm in this whole "ode to people in my life" mood lately. so this one is about the girls that were my support system through all those traumatic years of middle and high school. i love them so stinkin' much. it might be a little long, but it'll probably be mostly pictures. =] oh ya, and just as a really funny sidenote...we totally called ourselves p[squared] and you'll never know why. hahahaha.

this is my mary leigh. she's been my best friend since 7th grade and she's the peanut butter to my jelly. yep, we complete eachother.

and here's ashley. my baby girl. she's the one that makes me laugh and we have so many good times together it crazy.

sonja [aka sonny] was my cheer buddy and other half. we could quote movies together like there was no tomorrow. we have the same crazy sense of humor and i love it.

bailey jo is super woman. seriously. she is amazing at anything she does. especially rodeo and thats why she's my favorite cowgirl!

alyssa, or she also goes by grandma. this girl always looks perfect and that just fits her so well. she is so sweet i don't know how she does it.

burke is a crazy girl. she's super ambitious and a definate go-getter. she can also beat the crap out of anyone. so watch it.

marianne is also one of those girls that can do just about anything. but she's pretty darn humble about it. she cares way too much about other people, but in the very best way.

katie k is my favorite neighbor. she is a hoot. i'm pretty sure lots of our best inside jokes come from her mouth. she's just a silly girl.

alexa was my other cheer pal but she moved to utah last year. i missed her like mad and i'm sad we didn't get to graduate "together".

me and these girls have had some crazy times together. i really do love them and i miss them a ton. so here's just some random memories for the road.

letters from the mtc...

2008-07-06T01:08:00.000-06:00

so i can't sleep. and now with the convienence of this nifty laptop i got for graduation i can freely spend my sleepless nights sharing my random thoughts. life has just been crazy lately and so when i DO slow down and let my mind wander it always ends up in strange obscure places. today i got a letter from elder sparks. an exboyfriend of mine that left for his mission about a month ago. he's headed to heramasillo mexico but from the sounds of it, he'll be in the MTC for a while since visas to mexico for missionaries are getting tough to come by. whenever i get a letter from him it flat out makes me smile. well, more like grin. just because he is turning into one heck of an amazing missionary. he always has great scriptures to send me and stories of simple things building his testimony. he's been one of my heroes for a while... he's always been such a genuinely SWEET guy...but i keep gaining more and more respect for him. missionaries never cease to amaze me but i know stephen is going to be one of those special ones. and he completely deserves that. the scripture he sent me this week is doctorine & covenants 88:77-80 so i'll share it with you. now i should probably go get some shut eye since church is in about 7 and a half hours. good night. c:

growing up. maybe.

2008-07-01T21:15:00.000-06:00

so i decided to start a blog. hahaha. just because i'll be leaving for big ol' provo in two months and this is a way to keep up with the fam. =] it's super weird thinking i'm going to be in a whole new place without parents or anything but i'm really excited too. it's a brand new adventure! so, i guess here's the first post. just kind of a "hey i'm here" kinda thing.