Road Trip?

My life has been a little hectic lately. Math tutoring, piano lessons, voice lessons (for me--I'm not teaching them), Girls Camp (this week!), the Wasatch Back, Youth Conference, two family reunions, two college math classes (I have to take those to renew my teaching license), and trying to plan for teaching next year. I'm supposed to be running the St. George Marathon in October also, but I'm falling sadly behind in my training. Blah.

With all this...shall we call it resposibility?...I've decided that I'm ready for a break! I want to go somewhere. Somewhere I won't have to do laundry, or clean bathrooms, or even make the bed if I don't feel like it. But I'm not sure where to go.

So who out there has the perfect weekend getaway spot? I'm open for suggestions!

Normal is Relative

Occassionally, I post pictures of me and/or Matt that are a little...well...creative. You may wonder why we take pictures like that. Here's your answer. All of the following were taken at a recent family barbeque at our house. None were posed. This is just what my family does when faced with a camera.

My brother Rodney.

My sister Valerie.

My niece Sydney.

My brother Brent.

Either Jackson or Jordan. I can't tell.

My nephew Tanner. ( I might add that this is pretty normal for him, but I had to add the popsicle shot because he's a MOOCHER. Whenever there's food around, he mooches from anyone who'll share. It's kind of like grazing.)

My nephew Eli. Yep, we start 'em young.

Matt, the King of odd camera shots. (Also notice Eli in the background.)

Family Photo

It's really sad when you go to take a family photo and this is the best one...

Aren't Cars Just Moving Billboards?

I got this idea from someone else who recently adopted and thought that I would put my time stuck in traffic to good use! So my friend Kiirstin made this for me on her Cricut. (Thanks, Kiirstin!)
I hope we get the word out there a little more with this. We're so excited to welcome a little one to our family and its REALLY hard to be patient. I'm lucky to have nieces and nephews and neighbors to play with, but it's just not the same. I'm ready to change diapers and stay up all night!

Tagged!

I was tagged by Xazmin at This is the Year. I'm supposed to list 6 unimportant things that make me happy. Only 6? This list could go on and on. But I'll try to contain myself.

1. Turtle Brownies. Anything with chocolate, caramel, AND nuts has to be delicious, right?

2. Watching my garden grow. Except that the birds keep eating my zucchini plants. But I recently purchased a slingshot that has definitely been put to good use!

3. Wind in my face. I've always been a fan of wind. That's one reason I love my little pink scooter.

4. A capella music. I love listening to a capella music. Especially men. My current favorites are The King's Singers and Voice Male. Good stuff.

5. Clean bathrooms. Especially if I didn't have to clean them. (Now to get started on that clean laundry pile that keeps growing in my bedroom.)

6. Running. I love the feeling just after finishing a run (and realizing I'm still alive).

Now I'm tagging:

Dadra
Cassie
Valerie
Kiirstin
Jennifer
Heather

Snapshots of My Crazy Life

Wow. I've started this post half a dozen times, but I never know where to start. So I'm going to start rambling...

First off, I'm going back to teaching in the fall. I wasn't planning on it. I wasn't even looking for a job. I have connections to a charter school near my house and they needed a math teacher for their 7th and 8th grades. So I got a phone call. Not completely ecstatic about working full-time again, but I'm excited about the school. It's all about hands-on learning, and that makes it more fun to teach. Plus I'll only have about 100 students. Can't beat that. But...

In order to teach, you need a little thing called a valid teaching license. Mine expires at the end of the month. Blast! So now I'm taking two college math classes to renew my license. I'm trying to finish them ASAP, but we'll see how that goes! If anyone wants to brush up on their math, come on over! I'll let you do a few problems! I begged the teachers to let me join the online classes about 3 weeks late, so I have a lot of catching up to do before...

Youth Conference is this week also. It being a stake YC, I don't have as much that I'm in charge of, but I still get to go. Maybe they'll have wireless out there in the wilderness so that I can do my math homework. Then...

I have to leave YC early Saturday morning to head out to the Holgate reunion out in the Uintah Basin. I love these reunions, but it's too bad it's at the same time as YC. I'm excited to see all of Matt's family and see the amazing quilts they've made for the annual raffle. I'm pretty jealous. Maybe I'll sew one while I'm in the car for...

Next weekend is the Wasatch Back. I've posted about it before. But it's almost here!! I'm starting to get nervous because they changed the course and my legs got longer. Bummer. And they got more difficult. Bummer again. Well, if nothing else, I can walk, right? Our group secured a 15-passenger van, so we should have plenty of room to spread out, and I'm grateful for that!Last year was a little cramped. We start the race at 12:45 pm and are expected to finish at around 5ish the next day. After the race...

Girl's Camp is looming. It's a ward camp and I've never done one before. Neither have either of my counselors, my secretary, or my camp director. This oughta be a good learning experience! I'm just waiting to get up there only to discover we forgot something essential, like TP or forks or a tent! Only time will tell. But we'll definitely be prepared with lots of good snacks! And s'mores! Then back to life...

I've started teaching piano again and I have lots of math tutoring (including math camps that go for a couple of hours for a week--anyone need an Algebra review or preview?) lined up for the summer. Plus, Matt's as whiny as ever. Just kidding. Matt has been absolutely amazing. He's been helping more around the house, running errands, listening to my incoherent babbling about sine and cosine and which one equals 1 where, AND he's been rubbing my legs after the hard runs! I have a fantabulous husband!

Overall, life is crazy right now (did I mention that my 17 year old niece might move in with us this week?) but I wouldn't trade it for anything. I have a wonderful husband, very supportive and highly entertaining family, amazing friends and neighbors, and a Heavenly Father that wants me to learn all that I can. Crazy? Definitely. But it's all mine.

A Stolen Post

I read this on my sister's blog (thanks, Val!) and just had to share. Enjoy!
Another good one from
www.SixWise.com

A teacher of first-graders gave her students the first half of a well-known proverb, then asked them to compete the saying. What they came up with will make you smile, laugh and likely wonder at the wisdom that comes from the mouths of babes.

Don't change horses … until they stop running.
Strike while the … bug is close.
It’s always darkest before … Daylight Savings Time.
Never underestimate the power of … termites.
You can lead a horse to water but … How?
Don’t bite the hand that … looks dirty.
No news is … impossible.
A miss is as good as a … Mr.
You can’t teach an old dog new … Math.
If you lie down with dogs, you’ll … stink in the morning.
Love all, trust … Me.
The pen is mightier than the … pigs.
And idle mind is … the best way to relax.
Where there’s smoke there’s … pollution.
Happy the bride who … gets all the presents.
A penny saved is … not much.
Two’s company, three’s … the Musketeers.
Don’t put off until tomorrow what … you put on to go to bed.
Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and … you have to blow your nose.
There are none so blind as … Stevie Wonder.
Children should be seen and not … spanked or grounded.
If at first you don’t succeed … get new batteries.
You get out of something only what you … See in the picture on the box.
When the blind lead the blind … get out of the way.
A bird in the hand … is going to poop on you.
Better late than … Pregnant.

St. George, Here I Come!!

I am so excited to announce that I will be running in this year's St. George Marathon with my brother Rodney and my friend Heidi. I'm pretty stinkin' excited considering that I've tried to get in for the last 3 years. I ran it in 2006, but wasn't selected for the lottery in 2007 or 2008. They have a "3rd time's a charm" rule, so I got in this year! I've been training (casually, but still training) for the Wasatch Back in June, but this will give me incentive to kick it up a notch. Wish me luck!

Wow. I'm ready for a vacation. Anyone want to join me?

Garden

In my entire adult life, I've never really done a garden. I planted a watermelon plant once. Oh, and I harvested tomatoes from volunteer tomato plants.

But this year, I decided to actually plant a garden. Our new house has six beautiful planter boxes that I just couldn't let go to waste. (Also, my friend Kiirstin has a very green thumb and has inspired me to attempt to grow things.) So I planted. And planted. Why start small? We planted corn and peas and wax beans and zucchini and summer squash and tomatoes (for salsa-Matt and I don't actually eat tomatoes) and little baby pumpkins.

We have yet to find if I'm actually capable of keeping plants alive and healthy, but I'm ready to give it a try. Maybe Kiirstin will take pity on my poor plants and weed them every once in a while...

Riddle

What do you get when you mix 3 packages of cream cheese with 3 cups of powdered sugar?

A MESS!!

So much for wearing an apron.

Beauty and the Beast

Matt and I went to watch a production of Beauty and the Beast that my bro-in-law and two of my nephews were in. It was a community production but I thought it was very impressive. The twins were cast as "Chip" and cloves, and they alternated roles on different nights. It was so cute to see their "bio's" in the program! What cute little actors!

My bro-in-law played a spoon and a villager. The lighting is a little off here because he was in the aisle, but this is great!

This is Chip's costume. So adorable. And the twins had a job trying to stay awake since the curtain time for the play was after their normal bedtime. But they were troopers and never missed a line!

Here are the cloves.
Matt and me with my sister during intermission.

Our niece was too young to be in the production, but she was excited to watch the show. And she was super excited to meet Belle and get a rose after the show!

Bring on the Disasters!

Matt and I have been married for over 8 years now, and I've been working on getting my food storage that WHOLE TIME! I've added a little here and there, and moved the whole collection a few times (thanks, Julie) in my quest for the perfect food storage set-up. Our new house has a marvelous food storage room, complete with built-in shelves for the smaller cans and space for my 5 Superman-proof shelves for the #10 cans.

But I think a food storage just isn't complete without...you guessed it--CHOCOLATE!
I am now happy to report that we finally have our full year's supply! It only took 8+ years. (If anyone wants to come over to look at it and "ooooh" and "aaahh", I'm only too happy to oblige.)

Two-fer!

In making breakfast the other day, I got a two-fer in one of my eggs. Isn't it fun when you get that extra bonus?

The Wasatch Back

"Picture this: You and 11 of your closest friends running day and night, relay-style, through some of the most scenic terrain North America could muster. Add in live bands, inside jokes and a mild case of sleep deprivation. The result? Some call it a slumber party without sleep, pillows or deodorant. We call it a Ragnar Relay. Logan to Park City."

Sounds great, eh? Last year I was a last minute sub for a girl who broke her foot. I'd never even heard of this race. The Wasatch Back? What's that? But the minute we finished I started plotting for this year. I started to plan out how many hills I'd run to prepare, who I could con into running with me, what vans to use, and what team names were best.

And then the recruiting began. I'm sure there are people out there that I've asked at least a dozen times if they wanted to be on our team (if you'd just say yes the first time, we could have been spared!). We finally got a team together and decided who would run which legs. (But if you're interested, I know of other teams that still need runners.)

The race isn't until the middle of June, but I'm getting stinkin' excited about it. I've even made a spreadsheet for my training schedule (nerd meets running). Plus, as you may have noticed, I am now publishing my progress with my little runner, although she looks like she's running a LOT faster than I do. I'll take it.

After all this rambling, you may be asking yourself, "why is she posting this?" And here's the answer:

Our team name is IGNORANCE IS BLISSTERS and I'm looking for ideas to decorate our vans for the race. I'm not really excited about putting giant band-aids on the cars, and that's all I could come up with. We have 2 vans to decorate and many of the teams get really into it. But I'd like the vans to be usable afterward.

Any great ideas?

Cinnamon Almonds

So, I've had a few people ask me for the recipe for the almonds. Matt has tweeked it a bit, but here's the recipe we started with. We don't usually use vanilla. Matt has also tried it boiling the almonds a little before adding the cinnamon and sugar for softer nuts. Let me know how you like them!

Cinnamon Almonds

2 c whole almonds
1 c sugar
1 ½ tbsp cinnamon
¼ c water
1 to 1 ½ tsp vanilla (optional)
Mix sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle evenly over nuts in a non-stick skillet. Combine water and vanilla in separate bowl. Pour liquids over nut mixture. Mix and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature to medium heat. Stir constantly for about 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and place on wax paper. Separate with a wooden spoon so that they don’t stick together, and cool. Nuts will be very hot-don’t eat until slightly cooled (even though they smell delicious and it will be very difficult to resist!).

Best Husband Ever!

I just have to say that I have the best husband ever!

I made a deal with a friend and now I'm committed (not that kind of committed, although it can be argued that I should be) to going a WHOLE WEEK WITHOUT CHOCOLATE!!!

I know. I'm still a little in shock myself that I agreed to it.

But when Matt learned about my deal, he fully supported me by making me my very own batch of Cinnamon Almonds (you know, those almonds that they sell at fairs and craft shows that smell so good you can't go within 200 feet of them without drooling)! Mmmm.....tasty! They are fantastic! And now I have a snack that I love almost as much as chocolate to keep the cravings at bay. It also doesn't hurt that our whole house smells like Cinnamon Almonds.

Thanks, Matt!

Favorite Movie Quotes

If you know me even a little bit, you've heard me quote movies. So I thought I'd give all of you a chance to learn some of my favorite quotes. I skipped a few of the more obvious ones, but if you know what movie they're from, just comment. Bonus points if you can also name the character that said it.

1. "I am a lone reed, standing strong against the winds of commerce."
2. "Do chickens have large talons?"
3. "And yet I am unmoved."
4. "There is no charge for awesomeness. Or attractiveness."
5. "Hey! No forcefields!"
6. "Ugh, he's doing his own theme music."
7. "I've played a lot of cards-obviously. Wanna see my hand?"
8. "I could have been at a BARBEQUE!" "And WHAT IS THAT SMELL?!"
9. "Thank you for saving my bride, peasants."
10 "These potatoes are so creamy..."
11. "Oh, Bruiser, honey, you just look parched!"
12. "You smell like beef and cheese." "You sit on a throne of lies."
13. "I wish I could speak whale."
14. "Here I am, your own personal Greek statue."
15. "Here's your breakfast. And it's happy to see ya!"
16. "Oh, that's nothing, _________ can make it with a whole jar of spiders in her hands."
17. "Ain't nobody say, 'I don't like no parfait.'"
18. "Great! Real bullets! You're in big trouble, mister!"
19. "I wouldn't say that I am. I only know that my friends think so."
20. "This is our puppet burn hospital. It's relatively new."

3+9

I've been tutoring a lot lately. I had several people ask me to help their kids, so I decided I would just dedicate a few more hours each week and actually have a tutoring schedule. Mostly I tutor math, since that's what my degree is in. I have students ranging from 2nd grade to college right now, and I love the variety. I get to do something completely different each hour. Right now my 2nd grader is working on mastering her addition facts.

And I must say that there's just something about flashcards.

Why is it that you can study and study and not memorize until you put it on flashcards. Maybe I really am just a math nerd. I can accept that. But I still think flashcards are fantastic!

Wind and Picture Frames

I've LOVED the weather this week. 50s and 60s, kinda windy, a few sprinkles here and there. But I love it. I'm a storm girl. I grew up in Maryland (mostly) where they have real rainstorms. Not like the whimpy ones here.
Huge, heavy raindrops.
Lots of wind.
Bright lightening.
And especially big puddles to splash in barefoot.
I have several pictures of me as a kid standing outside in a rainstorm, holding an umbrella, and walking barefoot down the ditch in our front yard. It doesn't get much better than that!

Now, don't get me wrong. A beautiful, sunny day definitely lifts the spirits, I just don't mind the clouds and the wind.

So, the weather this week made me excited for spring and warmer weather (and a few rainstorms). It was warm enough to open windows. And that made me look at the walls around the windows and think, "Wow. That could use some sprucing up." So I've been working on tiny projects around the house. I've put up new towel hooks and rings, hung a few more pictures (although I still can't find the perfect spot for my framed melted-carpet-in-the-shape-of-an-iron), changed a couple light fixtures, rearranged furniture, and I've even broken out the power tools a couple times. Bob Villa, move over!

What are you doing for your "Spring Cleaning"?

Valentine's Day!

So I've never been a huge Valentine's Day fan. In a relationship or not, I chuckle at the idea of randomly buying gifts to celebrate. Isn't that what an anniversary is for? I don't dislike Valentine's Day, I just don't get all crazy about it. Matt and I usually just do something really small (sometimes just saying, "Happy Valentine's Day") to mark the occassion. This year Matt came home with a dozen red roses, and I must say, they're beautiful. Luckily, I had also found the perfect card for us. I actually laughed out loud in the store when I first read it. I wonder how many times a similar conversation has taken place in our house.
I wonder what St. Patrick's Day will bring.

Once There Was a Snowman...

tall,

Tall,

TALL!

Okay, so he's only medium tall, but there wasn't enough snow (or patience) to make a really tall snowman. But I felt the need to create whatever size snowman I could, since I haven't made one all winter! So I played in the snow while Matt used the snowblower to remove snow from several driveways! Go, Matt!

Pay It Forward

So I got this from my friend's blog, and I thought it was a pretty cool idea, but mostly I want her to make me something.

Here's the deal: The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice. For you. This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:
1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make! (But I'll try)
2. What I create will be just for you.
3. It'll be done this year.
4. You have no clue what it's going to be. It may be a song(doubtful). It may be a self portrait (even more doubtful) or maybe even some creation I haven't yet dreamed up. I may write something for you, I may draw, I may bake you something and mail it to you. It may not be big or impressive. Who knows? Not you, that's for sure! So come on, sign up!
5. I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.

The catch? Oh, the catch is that you must re-post this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on your blog. The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did win a homemade gift by me!

My Mother's Daughter

I grew up with a mother who had an amazing ability to sniff out great deals. Deals on bread machines, deals on shoes, deals on baby clothes...you name it. It's not like she went shopping all the time. She just always seemed to be in the right place at the right time. One Christmas all of us kids got softball gloves and mitts because Mom found them for 99% off or some ridiculous price. It didn't matter that we only played softball once in a blue moon. It was a fantastic deal, so we started playing softball a lot more.

Although my Mom usually made my formal dresses, I decided to borrow one from a friend for Homecoming my junior year. It was bright blue satin (welcome to the 90s). Not an easy color to match. But that didn't stop my Mom from finding a pair of bright blue satin shoes that were just my size...at a yard sale for $1. What are the odds?!

Even after most of us were married, we'd get a call from Mom on a Saturday morning asking us if we wanted her to buy a chair or some shelves she found at a fantastic price. They had to load up the trailer and van every time they came out to visit just to fit in Mom's amazing deals. I don't want to sound ungrateful. I loved that about my Mom. Plus, she found me 5 brand new oak chairs that perfectly matched the kitchen table my Dad made. No complaints here.

So, with genes like these, I have to be excited about a great deal, right? I am. I admit it. I get really excited about finding things for 80% off. And all my friends know it. My sisters are both the same. It's not uncommon to hear some variation of the following conversation:

"Cute shoes!"
"Thanks! I got them for $4."
"Really? Where? I want to get some for ______. Is the sale still going on?"

Or this conversation:
"Hey, I'm at the store and I found some bins like the ones you were looking at. They're only $2. Do you want me to get you some?"

We have a running tally to keep track of the money we spend for each other.

So, I decided to blog about my latest deal. I was searching for a good price on "The Little Mermaid." After all, it's going back into that blasted Disney vault today, right? But while I was searching, I came across a cute corduroy bedspread. There were only two, and they were both the right size for my bed. It must be fate.
Original price: $89.99.
Andrea's final price: $8.99.
Yep, I found the perfect bedspread for 90% off. I must be my mother's daughter.

Tagged by Gretchen

A to Z About Me

A--Attached or Single: Attached to Matt
B--Best Friend: Matt (how cheesy is that?)
C--Cake or Pie: I don't care as long as it's chocolate!
D--Day of Choice: Tuesday (Singing practice day)
E--Essential Item: I suppose a water bottle. I keep one with me at all times.
F--Favorite Color: ?? Orange? Red? Green?
G--Greatest Accomplishment: Running the St. George Marathon
H--Hometown: White Plains, MD
I--Indulgences: Warm Chocolate Melting Cake. I'm drooling just thinking about it!
J--January or July: July
K--Kids: Just Matt
L--Life is incomplete without: Matt, church, exercise, chocolate, good friends
M--Marriage Date: January 26, 2001
N--Number of Siblings: 7--Jenni, Rodney, Paul, Evan, Valerie, Brent, JD
O--Oranges or Apples: Either one as long as they're cut for me. =)
P--Phobias or fears: Public speaking
Q--Quotes: SO many, but here's one..."So what if the Hokey Pokey really IS what it's all about?"
R--Reason to Smile: Life is good!
S--Season: Spring
T--Tag 5 Friends: Valerie, Alona, Jennifer, Lacie, Dadra.
U--Unknown fact about me: Umm...I guess I'm an open book. =)
V--Very favorite store: The ones I can afford.
W--Worst habit: 4 words--piles of clean laundry.
X--X-ray or Ultra Sound: Ultra sound. It's kind of cool watching things move around.
Y--Your favorite food: Mmmm...warm chocolate melting cake. (But I would never turn down a good steak.)
Z--Zodiac: Libra

Cruise 2009

So, we just got back from our fantabulous cruise to Mexico. We decided that we wouldn't mind living in a warmer climate! The temperatures were in the 70s and 80s for our whole trip, so we can't complain a bit. We went with three other couples from our neighborhood and had an absolute blast! I think we're all experiencing symptoms of withdrawal, so we're already starting to plan another cruise for next year...maybe the Carribbean? Anyone else in?

This is the cruising clan right after arriving in San Diego. We had hour or so before we needed to board the ship, so we went to check out the beach.

Every night for dessert I enjoyed (drooled over, scarffed down, talked about, craved, obsessed over...) a Warm Chocolate Melting Cake. Man, do I miss those!!!

This is one of the beaches at Cabo San Lucas where we were forced to spend the day snorkelling and playing in the waves. Rough.

Matt looking good in La Jolla. We spent another day and a half in CA after the cruise. We felt we needed a buffer between the 80 degree weather in Cabo and the 20 degree weather in Salt Lake.

Yes, it was plenty warm to walk barefoot on the beach. Sigh...

Matt was attacked by one of the towel creatures left on our bed by our steward. He's lucky he made it out of there alive!

We ate. Then we ate some more. Then we ate again. Then we went and found the frozen yogurt machine. Did I mention that we ate?

Gingerbread Haka!

I saw this on a friend's blog and thought it was hilarious! I thought for sure it was an ad for the BYU football team, but it wasn't. Someone should send it to them.

Is it SCOOTER WEATHER yet?

I just looked outside and it is snowing AGAIN. I'm all for a little snow, but this is getting out of hand! I can hardly wait for weather warm enough to drag that scooter out of hibernation!

Me and my neighbor forming a "scooter gang". We look pretty intimidating, don't we?
This was on Halloween (can you tell from my socks?). My friend's twins were being motorcross kids and our neighbor brought his bike to give them a ride. She is (obviously) pregnant, so we thought it would be great to get a picture on my scooter. The "helmet" was her idea.