The World is a Book

A Hairy Revolution

2011-06-09T13:26:00.007-06:00

One of my quarter-life crisis birthday resolutions is to learn how to do my hair... ahem, do my hair cute. I know, I know, I'm a 25-year-old woman. You'd think I would know how to do my hair by this point in life. Well, let's take a look at my hair history.

Birth: I was born with a TON of hair. I had my first haircut at 6 weeks or 3 months or something like that (right, Mom?)

Little Kid-hood: My mom made lots of pretty bows and did very cute hairstyles on me every day.

Elementary School-hood: I started to get VERY picky about my hair. NO bumps. I was absolutely horrified at the thought of any bump sticking up out of my hair when it was in a ponytail or bun. Everything had to be perfect and in the center with no hairs hanging out funny. It was bordering on OCD. Hair OCD. Most definitely a trial for my mother.

And don't let me forget that I was on a swim team and/or water polo team from age 7 through college. I endured the nickname "Green Queen," and endless comments from hairstylists about how my slimy chlorine hair would slip right through their scissors.

2nd Grade: Oh the bang cut debacle of 1992. You see, my mom used to cut my hair herself. I guess this particular time she had trouble getting my bangs even (and she surely knew the flip-out she'd have on her hands if they weren't EVEN!). So she took a little off one side, a little off the other, a little more off the right, now a tiny more from the left and middle and before we knew it, my bangs were an inch long. She even had the gall to make me go to school the next day. Oh the shame. I remember being completely shocked when I wasn't mocked and ridiculed. Needless to say, I didn't let my mom cut my hair ever again.

6th-ish grade: My mom decides it's high time for me to start doing my own hair. Oh the tantrums. And the terrible hair OCD beast roaring her ugly head. Oh the crunchy, crunchy snap clip-filled hair. Did I mention how crunchy my hair was?

Junior High: I finally got into a groove that involved pony tails, half-up (or as we call it, "Some up, some down"), messy buns, and curling irons. Oh HI, Boys.

High School: Early morning swim and water polo practices led to me going to class with wet and uncombed hair. This is also when I tried to stop caring what people thought. I would comb my hair in my first class of the day and just let it air dry. Eventually I really did stop caring what people thought. I considered my hair "styled" when I took the time to blow-dry and straighten it.

Oh and there was that time I used Kool-Aid to dye several inches of my long hair green for a state swim meet. Apparently Kool-Aid is not a temporary dye. Lesson learned.

College through now: My hairstyles have been blow-dryed and straightened, high ponytail, low ponytail, high messy bun, low messy bun, bangs = none or swoopy or straight-across. I've rocked the long hair, the really long hair, and the really really long hair.

While I don't have too many regrets about my life-long hair saga, I have recently gotten this unfamiliar desire to have prettier hair. I decided to start with a classic french braid.

I have been telling myself for awhile that I can absolutely learn anything I want to with just the internet for a teacher. Let me tell you, the internet can't make your arms stronger. My main problem with practicing the french braid is that I can't hold my arms up long enough to get anywhere! They would start shaking and I would give up.

I decided to switch away from braiding straight back to braiding down the side of my head in hopes of achieving one of these (click each photo for source):

Very pretty, right? These braids are a little easier on the arms, but let me tell you, there were many failures before I even got a recognizable braid. Embarrassing, I know.

Without further ado, here's my first attempt that resembled anything besides bedhead (please excuse the mud-stained shirt I'm wearing. It was Jonathan's Dirty Dash shirt and I was spray painting):

Not exactly my finest hour of success, but it was a real braid!

Unfortunately, it's not something I would consider wearing in public. Yes, even me.

Second Attempt... something obviously went very wrong:

In my defense, bangs are difficult to braid into long hair. Also, I randomly grew a new row of hair when I had Hattie that's just a couple inches long now. So annoying.

Third Attempt. I asked Jonathan if it looked better or worse than the first. He said he couldn't tell. Sooo basically they both sucked:

You can really see my new row of hair in this photo (above). Hot.

My most recent attempt happened as I was sitting on the couch watching the news. No mirror this time. I actually wore this one out of the house. YAY!

I realized with this attempt that french braiding without a mirror is much easier and less confusing for my fingers.

I plan to keep trying and eventually master the french braid. No more boring ponytails (if you happen to see me wearing a boring ponytail, please don't say anything).

Here's to the next 25 hair years being much better than the last.

I'm officially on my quest to learn what I didn't learn in college.

2011-06-05T23:45:00.006-06:00

Web Design.

I'm not sure when the desire to create a website came to me, but during my last semester of college I decided to figure out what this HTML business was all about. I signed up for a free class sponsored by the U of U's Marriott Library. Hmmm, well the guy who taught it ended up being a little old school. At the time, the world of website creation and web design were completely new to me and I just assumed I was learning cutting edge stuff here. It was a little disheartening when I realized that the teacher had taught us mostly outdated practices. Using table tags to format web pages. Tag names in all caps was best. Using old HTML tags instead of CSS to style a web page.

Anyway, try number two. I got a book and researched online. I'm now teaching myself from the latest sources (I hope) and I've decided to build a website completely from scratch.

Lest this post gets too boring for those with absolutely zero interest in the behind-the-scenes internet, a picture! This is a screenshot of the very VERY beginnings for my trial website. It will eventually be a working website for Jonathan's graphic design work, portfolio, blog, etc. On the right side is the HTML document and the left is how Internet Explorer displays it. Pretty cool?

Well even if you think it's completely lame, ugly, and boring (I hate you), the point is, I'm doing it. I'm learning something I've wanted to learn for a long while. Maybe it'll be a hobby, maybe I could make some money. Maybe once I'm done I'll realize there are other things I'd much rather be doing with my time. Who knows? But isn't it so exciting?!

I'll give occasional updates on how it's coming. Keep me on it!

Making a Life

2011-06-03T13:10:00.013-06:00

I've had a surge of motivation and inspiration lately. You just can't let those pass by. At least, I won't this time.

I want to learn things.

I've heard a lot of people say things like, "Learning shouldn't end when school ends." Now I realize that yes, that little saying and all its variations may be trite, maybe they're cliché, but the idea behind them? It hasn't lost it's meaning. It's true.

When I graduated from college 2 years ago, I was so excited to finally have the time to learn what I really want to know. Outside the confines of class requirements, professors, and syllabi, I could learn whatever I wanted! Instead, I was caught up in making a living, helping to support my family, the duties of life, watching tv.

My mom-in-law emailed me some Maya Angelou quotes today. One of them was:

"I've learned that 'making a living' is not the same as making a life."

I love it when you read something someone else wrote that feels like it was written for you. It just shows you how similar we humans are to each other.

I'm going to start making a life. It will be full of learning how to do things that I'm interested in. I will make an effort to go out and do things that I want to do. Your life can end at any time. Your knowledge and memories and experience stay with you forever.

The things I learn and do will make me a more interesting and thus hotter wife. Jonathan won't argue with that. I'll be a smarter and funner mom. I'll be more likely to cross paths with people who I can help and who can help me in some way. I'll be better equipped to help them. I'll be more aware of the world.

Next year I probably won't care or even remember who won So You Think You Can Dance, but I bet it'll feel good to wear a skirt that I sewed myself. So what if I sewed it while watching crazy talented people bust a move on tv? No one said I can't multi-task.

Ambitious

2011-05-13T11:22:00.002-06:00

I turned 25 a couple of days ago. Jonathan and Hattie and I went to Sugarhouse Park and fed the ducks and geese (and mostly seagulls. Gr!) some old stale pretzels. We went on a walk around the park, Jonathan pushing me in my wheelchair while I pushed Hattie in her stroller. We looked a little funny but it was nice to get some sunshine and not be stuck in bed.

I went and got a pedicure with my mom and sis. A foot massage and pink toenails can do a lot for your soul.

The icing on the cake was heavenly sushi for dinner at Takashi. I love that place so much. We had to wait 40 minutes for a table on a Wednesday evening, but I would have waited longer. It was delicious.

For dessert they gave us a mango mousse - a perfect, light dessert to end a meal of sushi. The server put a candle in the mouse, wished me a happy birthday, and left us alone.

As I blew out the candle I made my 25th Birthday Resolution: I will be more ambitious with my goals and ideas this coming year. I kept the candle to remind me. Hold me to it, friends.

The Accident

2011-04-16T18:32:00.010-06:00

Was my last post about change? I'm still amazed how the tiniest change can affect so much of your life. The tiniest extra minute that I spent getting ready for work one morning... that put me on the freeway one minute later. The tiniest couple of seconds another driver on the freeway spends looking at something other than the road. The tiniest fracture in my back. My world is different right now because of those tiny little things. Hopefully one day, my current predicament will just seem like a tiny part of my life.

Wednesday, April 6th I was involved in a freeway car accident. A driver two cars behind me wasn't paying attention, couldn't stop fast enough, swerved out of our lane, lost control, hit me directly on the rear driver side of my car. I was knocked unconscious and ended up running into the car in front of me.

I have seen one accident in my life where the Jaws of Life were cutting the car open to save the driver. I remember thinking how scary that would be. I've passed a few accidents with paramedics on scene and you see someone on a stretcher being loaded up into the ambulance. I always say a little prayer for them and hope they're okay.

It's incredibly surreal to be the one lying in your car in so much pain. Staring at the deflated airbags, the smashed windshield. Accepting a stranger's coat. Holding another stranger's hand as she cries and asks you if you're okay. Wondering which one of them hit you. Calling your husband and then forgetting what you said to him. Feeling the pain in your back and wondering if you'll be okay and how you're going to get out of the smashed car. Listening to the side of your car being cut away. Being transferred onto a hard board. Getting your head strapped down. Not caring if they cut off your clothes. Watching a paramedic call your husband on your own cell phone and telling him where they're taking you. Being asked basic questions, "How long have you been married?" "How old is your baby?" and answering, "I don't know, I don't know."

Thank goodness for shock - that state your body goes into during traumatic situations. I didn't reach the hospital until 45 minutes after the accident, but it felt so much faster. If I would have been thinking clearly I don't know that I could have handled the scariness of it all.

At the ER I was given some strong pain medicine and sent directly to the CT scan. A few minutes later the nurse told me I had fractured the bone that connects my spine to my pelvis. That didn't sound good. I took comfort that I could move my toes. I wasn't allowed to eat or drink until late afternoon (hours later). The orthopedic surgeon had to look at the scans first and tell me whether I would be getting surgery that day. The shock had worn off and I was growing worried about a surgery, long recovery, complications, worst-case scenarios.

Finally the orthopedic surgeon came in to tell me my sacrum was fractured. The bone at the base of your spine between your hips. He felt that it would likely heal without surgery. If not, a 4 inch screw would be placed. No weight on my right leg for at least 6 weeks. A painful fracture. Painful recovery. If I'm careful, no surgery. Hopefully.

I took some comfort in no surgery but some sadness in realizing life would be a little difficult for awhile.

I stayed in the hospital 5 days. The second day a physical therapist made me sit up. Then stand up. So much pain! He asked me my pain level and I screamed, "TEN!" He left me alone for the rest of the day. The next day he came in again. Made me sit up, stand up. It was a little better. He had me take a couple of steps with a walker. Pain. He let me sit back down. I screamed a type of scream I've never heard myself scream. Right in his face. That sitting down HURT! I was depressed. I can't do that for 6 weeks.

Slowly but surely, in between the demoralizing experiences that come when you're bedridden in a hospital, I was able to get the hang of moving enough to finally make it into the bathroom on Sunday morning. After proving I could get out of bed and to the bathroom they decided they could let me go home.

I live in a basement. Stairs! Luckily my aunt, who owns the home we live in and lives upstairs, had an extra room upstairs that she's letting me live in. Sometimes I lie in bed. Sometimes I sit in a chair. Jonathan and Hattie still live downstairs. It stinks. I miss sharing a bed with Jonathan but I'm afraid to right now. I can't check on Hattie while she's sleeping anymore. I can't carry her. I can't pick her up off the floor. I can't meet her needs. I can't be alone with her. Boo!

Yesterday I was going crazy from sitting inside at home. I went to Costco with my Mom, Jonathan, and Hattie. I used my wheelchair. Little kids stared or smiled at me. Employees offered me extra samples. I'm a handicapped person! It's only for a couple of months. I'm so lucky.

Looking at pictures of my smushed car, I realize how lucky I truly am to be alive. To not be paralyzed. My sacrum is probably broken because of the seat belt, but I likely would have died without it. Many family-members, friends, and coworkers have sent flowers, games, books, movies, treats, dinners, cards. I feel very loved and taken care of. No matter how much I wish I could be the one to meet Hattie's needs, there are many people willing to do it for me. I'm so grateful for that. I have a friend who is an attorney helping me sort out insurance settlement stuff free of charge. So thankful! My aunt is a Licensed Nurse Practitioner who can reassure me that that lump in my thigh is not a blood clot. Blessings!

This has been scary, painful, frustrating, embarrassing, demoralizing, boring, annoying, and depressing but I am so grateful it's temporary. It's going to suck to see my muscles in my right leg deteriorate to nothing. It's hard to wonder if my baby is learning to love others more than me. It's frustrating to have to rely on Jonathan to bring me food, help me shower and dress, get this and that for me. I hope he doesn't hate me by the end of this.

It will end. I will heal. It will stop hurting. I can gain muscle back. I won't miss the whole summer. I have a lot of support. I can do this! (Maybe if I say that enough it will be true.)

Everyone, PLEASE, watch where you're going on the road! You're driving a 4000 lb machine at high speeds. Watch where you are going!

Sadly, no matter how much you watch where you're going, you are still taking a risk by driving. People forget every day that they are driving 4000 lb machines. And they text. Gr!

Changes.

2011-02-24T22:09:00.006-07:00

I had always heard that having kids will change your life.

Well it has mine. ...in many wonderfully awesome and frustratingly predictable and annoying, hilarious ways.

A couple of nights ago Hattie pooped. She was sitting in a position that has the potential for reeking havoc on the ability of a diaper to do its job. Jonathan rushed her into her room to assess the damage and clean her up. A few seconds later he walks out of her room with an open diaper in hand.

"Look how close it was," he told me excitedly as he put the diaper in front of my face.

I looked at the millimeter at the very back of the diaper -- the only part that remained unsoiled. We high-fived. No escaped poop.

A few days go by and Hattie's broken her record for longest time without a poop. She recently started eating solid foods and we were anxiously awaiting the first "solid food poo." I called Jonathan in the morning from work.

"Has Hattie pooped yet?"

"Nope."

"Darn. Will you call or text or email me when it happens? Let me know how it is?"

"Yep. She's had a few stinky farts. No poop yet though."

"Okay. Bye. Love you."

I got a text a couple hours later: Poopy Baby.

Me: Yay! Stinky or thick at all?

J: Stinky but not thick.

Me: Gross. We're texting about someone's poo.

Three hours later I got an email from Jonathan: I've changed three poops since I texted you.

Me: Wow! Good!

Yes. We show each other poo. We call each other about poo. We text each other about poo. We email each other about poo.

Just one little change that came from having a kid.

When I think back on life without Hattie, it's so strange. It seems so empty. It was good, and definitely easier, but so different. Having a child has touched every part of my life.

I'm so grateful. Poop and all.

Oh hey, Blog.

2011-02-21T19:52:00.002-07:00

Never mind.

Baby needs me.

Story of my life.

Isn't it awesome?!

I think so.

Just in case anyone was wondering how cute my baby is...

2011-01-02T11:44:00.001-07:00

Feliz Navidad y gracias a todos.

2010-12-24T17:51:00.005-07:00

Little Hattie and Jack

Thanks to all of my generous friends and family who helped José and his family with Christmas and life this year. They were so incredibly grateful.

On that note I wanted to share my favorite verse of my favorite Christmas song:

O Holy Night

Truly He taught us to love one another;

His law is love and His gospel is peace.

Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother;

And in His name all oppression shall cease.

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,

Let all within us praise His holy name.

Christ is the Lord! O praise His Name forever,

His power and glory evermore proclaim.

Trying to pay it forward

2010-12-22T23:29:00.002-07:00

I know there are all kinds of charities looking for donations this time of year and money is tight for most, but Jonathan and I know a specific family who really needs some help. The dad lost his job awhile ago because of a language barrier and hasn't been able to find another job to support his wife and kids. We're planning on getting them a Walmart gift card but things are so tight for us right now that we're not going to be able to give very much. If anyone wants to throw in a couple dollars (or more) we'd be grateful.

Some anonymous people helped us out last Christmas and it meant so much. We'd really like to pay it forward this year even though we still don't have much. Comment or email me if you're interested.

Merry Christmas!

Win over your latin lover with one semester of Spanish.

2010-12-11T16:53:00.000-07:00

One Semester of Spanish - Love Song @ Yahoo! Video

Hattie's Eye

2010-11-26T13:27:00.005-07:00

Check it out.

At first I thought her eyes were changing to brown,

but now I'm pretty sure it's a rare condition called Sectoral Heterocromia.

They say it's a sign of royalty, and hey, there's even a Facebook group for it.

Awesome.

.stuff.

2010-11-04T21:07:00.004-06:00

.going to work every morning when a cozy baby is still snoozing in your bed is hard. very hard.

.i have great family who takes turns taking care of my hattie j. mom, janet, emily, cathy, grandma, alex: thanks. jonathan and i are so grateful.

.pumping at work sucks. i feel like a cow.

.good thing i have a fat and happy baby to show for it.

.it's crazy how you can not really care much one way or the other for other people's kids your whole life and then feel completely and totally head over heels for your own.

.they're just babies. what makes them so... like you just want to.... kiss them and hug them and be smiled and coo'ed at all day. who am i? gag. but really.

'cia almost killed a cat today. it ended up tangling itself in vines and chicken wire on our fence and hanging upside down for 45 minutes until jonathan could get it untangled. i don't much like cats, but poor cat. sorry. bad dog, 'cia. cat: try not to come in our backyard anymore.

.still haven't hung stuff on our walls. surprise, surprise.

.we got a new old car. my first car in the thousands! year-wise and money-wise. ha!

.postpartum healing sucks way more than pregnancy. and pregnancy sucks.

.i want to go to spain with jonathan on a romantic vacation. but bring hattie too because i couldn't ever leave her that far. who says you can't have kids AND foreign travels AND romance, huh? who?!

.i'm trying to brainstorm inventions so we can get rich so we can travel.

.baby coos and smiles are the most beautiful thing on this earth. so that should sustain me even if we can't travel for awhile. gag, i know. but really.

.i need clothes. jonathan needs clothes. but we're poor/stubborn and don't want to spend money on them. plus i'm not a fan of shopping. everyone just get used to seeing me in the same few things. OR, if you're getting rid of clothes, send them my way. i'll drop them off at the D.I. for ya. heh heh...

.jonathan's designing some pretty cool stuff at school this semester. i'm proud of him. and excited for him. he is a great artist. brag brag brag. my husband's got skillllzzzzzzz.

.all you moms and/or dads out there who work all day and then come home to kids and also cook and clean: how?

.i thought the christmas music was supposed to start on the radio by now. fm100, you are FAILING me.

.SO glad elections are over. and as a political science major*, that was supposed to be fun. nope.

.you know, if i could pick one thing in the whole world to be cheaper to buy... it would be diapers.

.should i sign up for a triathlon this spring? or will i hate myself for it the whole two weeks leading up to it?

.baby's waking up. yay. bye for now.

*so i graduated with a degree in a political science. does that make me a political scientist? it sounds so pretentious.

I'm proud to say that I can officially start wearing...

2010-11-01T21:23:00.002-06:00

Because I'm not a woman anymore, I'm a mom.

Hattie's Birth Story

2010-10-13T20:53:00.007-06:00

I've been posting about our experiences with Hattie on my private blog that Jonathan and I use as a family journal (only he and I can write in it and view it). I wanted to avoid oversharing about my beautiful little girl and possibly boring people. However, I thought I'd share the post I wrote about Hattie's birth for any curious family and friends.

We made it! Here's how it all went down...

Saturday, September 11, 2010. It was four days past my due date. Four days may not sound like much, but I was done. I felt like my body would never go into labor on its own. I was anxious for the big day to just come. I wanted to meet my daughter. I wanted my body back.* I wanted scary labor to just be over with and for everything to be okay and done. I was ready to cuddle a warm, chubby baby.

I got up late in the morning wondering what to do with myself that day. I was slightly self-pitying and a little depressed. Jonathan was working on homework so I headed over to my parents' house to hang out with my mom for awhile. She was canning peach and blackberry jams and earlier she'd made some peach cobbler and fresh salsa. So I snacked and we chatted and half-watched an old Mel Gibson western movie that was on television.

After awhile I headed back home and got a little teary on the way... just pregnancy hormones and the frustration of being pregnant past my due date. I crawled into bed with a book and eventually fell asleep for a long nap. I woke up around 7:45 and went to the bathroom. As I was washing my hands after, I felt like I peed a little more... but then it stopped. I thought maybe something was up but I didn't feel like telling Jonathan because I didn't want to get his hopes up and I was in denial that anything would ever happen labor-wise.

I went out and sat next to Jonathan at our desks and googled "how do i know if my water broke?" As I started reading, I shifted in my seat. A small gush. I went back to the bathroom. Nothing. Back to the desk. Slightly painful contraction. Nothing. Shift in seat. Small gush. Slightly more painful contraction. I told Jonathan that I thought my water had broken. He wanted to know if I was sure.

Sorta...

(painful contraction)

Probably...

(Small gush)

Yeah... I'm sure

(more painful contraction).

I told him we should go to the hospital so we started taking our time getting our stuff together. I got my toothbrush and makeup and added it to my hospital bag. Jonathan grabbed some extra clothes and homework stuff. Then the contractions really started hurting. I had to stop what I was doing and breathe. I grabbed the car seat out of the nursery and was getting very anxious to leave.

On the freeway on the way to Intermountain Medical Center, I realized that I hadn't timed my contractions at all. I knew they wouldn't send me home if my water had broken, but what if I was being silly and it didn't? I had a small moment of doubt until the next contraction kicked in. It was a doozy... Ouch. By the time we got to the hospital, I was comforted because my contractions were 3 - 5 minutes apart. But man did they hurt.

We parked and walked into the women's center around 8:45. The woman at the desk seemed doubtful even after I told her I thought my water had broken but they got me into a room (#17) and sent in a nurse. By this time I was in a lot of pain. Every contraction was worse than the one before and I couldn't believe how much they hurt. The nurse checked me and said she couldn't tell if my water had broken for sure. I was confused by that because, ahem, what about the big wet spot under me on the bed? She thought I was at about a 4.

My mom and sister showed up sometime around here. I was in a lot of pain. I've said this before and I'll say it again: I do not know how women give birth naturally. I just don't. The nurse wanted to call my midwife to make sure it would be okay for me to get my epidural. I was ready to fight if my midwife had any issue with it. Luckily, my midwife said that of course it would be fine for me to get my epidural right away and that she would be to the hospital soon.

Getting the epidural was kind of scary but I was up for anything to end the agony. The hard part was staying still enough through the pain to let the anesthesiologist get the needle in. I was terrified that I would jerk and he'd stab my spine and I'd be paralyzed forever. But he didn't and a few minutes later... sweet, sweet relief.

Once I got my epidural, I remembered to start documenting the day with photos

My midwife, DeeDee showed up a little before 11:00 PM. I had had a couple of my prenatal visits with her and she was my favorite midwife in the practice so I was really excited that she happened to be on call that night. She checked me and said I was about a six and then sat and chatted with us and charted. I loved having a midwife because of the personal attention I got from her. She was in my room from the time she showed up at the hospital until I delivered. We talked about her past experiences with labor and delivery, my fears that the ultrasound would be wrong, my plan for labor, etc. It was great.

My awesome midwife, DeeDee Fedorchak

Meanwhile, my first labor and delivery nurse went home and a new one came. I was a little surprised because the new nurse seemed old. Really old. The second she walked in the door, my mom asked her what her name was and if she had worked with Dr. Larkin at LDS Hospital before. She confirmed that she had and my mom said, "I knew it, you were my labor and delivery nurse when I had Amanda." Crazy! The nurse that helped deliver me was there to help me deliver my oldest daughter.

My Labor and Delivery nurse, Karen (I think that was her name. Mom?)

A short time later, around 11:15, my midwife checked me again because I was feeling some pressure (My epidural was great. I could still feel my legs and feet and move around. I could feel each contraction but without the huge amount of pain.). I was already at a 9. I went from a 4 to a 10 in a surprisingly short amount of time... Maybe that's why it hurt so bad. My midwife said that I could start pushing really soon if I wanted but since she'd heard me saying that I didn't want a 9/11 baby, she said I could wait until midnight to start pushing if I wanted. I decided to wait so we just relaxed and chatted.

When it was finally time to start pushing, I was really happy to see that my midwife kept the lights dim. She didn't bring out the huge harsh surgical light from the ceiling as she said she doesn't think it's very comfortable for newborns to have all those harsh lights on them right away. She also let me stay on the long bed rather than taking it apart and making me scoot down and get into stirrups like a lot of the doctors do. It was a really nice environment and I felt mostly at ease... but of course a little bit nervous. I just wanted our baby to be safe and healthy.

As I started pushing, Jonathan would hold my right leg and the nurse would hold my left and count through the contractions for me. My midwife sat at the end of the bed and just said encouraging things. She let me decide to push when I felt the contractions instead of telling me by what the monitor was showing on the computer. After a few pushes, the baby was descending at a nice slow and steady pace so she kept telling me to just push as hard as I could.

My mom and Emily started to get really excited because they could finally see the baby's head and there was hair! I pushed really hard the next time, and much to everyone's surprise, including the midwife's, her whole head came out. My midwife had to lunge forward really quickly to catch her as her whole body quickly came out. It was 12:47 am on Sunday, September 12th. I was sitting far enough forward from pushing that I actually saw her come out of me. It was amazing. They put her pink, healthy, crying little body right up on my chest, blood and goop and all and I loved it. One of the first things I noticed about her besides her cute face was her large hands. Just like mommy! haha...

My first gory look at my beautiful girl

Jonathan taking his first look at his girl

It's possible she wasn't too excited to be here right at first :)

Since they weren't expecting her to come out so fast, the nurse and CNA for the baby weren't even in the room yet like they usually would be. The labor and delivery nurse frantically paged them and they eventually came. They weighed and measured her, gave her a quick check, and then gave her back to me. 8 pounds 3 ounces, 21 inches long.

I love this epic hand shadow photo.

I got to hold her skin-to-skin on my chest for a long time while the midwife started the arduous process of stitching up my battle wounds. It turns out that because of Hattie's quick arrival, I had some pretty crazy tearing. It took the midwife 1 hour and 45 minutes to get me all stitched up. Two times the stitching got so complicated that she had the on-call obstetrician come in and give her opinion and take a turn stitch me up. Needless to say, I lost a lot of blood. Again, thank heavens for my epidural. By the end of the stitching, though, the drugs were wearing off and I could feel the needle going in and out of me. Yeesh. I do not want to repeat that anytime soon.

I was loving the baby on my chest, hating the endless stitching.

Jonathan was out in the hall with his parents and Hattie for the last half of the stitching. After it was done, they dropped in to say hi to me and then it was just Jonathan and I. The nurse sent Hattie up to the nursery and told me I'd be on my way up to recovery soon.

Jonathan's cute parents getting their first look atBaby H

After a slight roadblock (my blood pressure dropping a ton, throwing up, almost passing out, and freezing and shivering uncontrollably) they finally had me go up to my room on the recovery floor sometime around 4 am and Hattie was returned to us. A CNA came in and gave her a bath. Sadly, she hated it. Her little cry was so cute though.

Hatin' her first bath

Finally done with the labor, stitching, wooziness, nausea, barfing, and chills and up to recovery. Made it!

We had a lot of nice family and friends come visit us Sunday and Monday.

Jonathan's siblings, Joseph and Kristine

My sis, Emily

Sis - in - law, Rachelle

Jonathan's bro, Sam

My friend, Tiffany

My dad's first time holding his first granddaughter

Mi madre

Little Bro, Josh

Other little bro, Ben

Monday evening we were discharged after I talked my midwife out of making me get a blood transfusion. I had to walk around the recovery floor for 15 minutes to prove I wasn't going to pass out.

Driving home with Hattie was a little bit of a surreal experience. Two people became three... just like that.

We are loving our little Hattie and all of her cuteness. She has brought a wonderful spirit to our home and I can't believe how much love I have for someone I've known for such a short amount of time.

After all of the tips and tricks I tried to get labor going, I'm going to have to say that what finally did the trick was the delicious peach cobbler my mom made. Say what you will about walking, spicy foods, and sex, but what did it for me was a little self pity, a long nap, and some delicious homemade peach cobbler.

Nature might have had a bit to do with it too. You never really know.

*Little did I realize, giving birth wouldn't do much to "give me my body back." I may look normal again, but when you are someone's sole source of food and that someone wants to eat every 1 - 3 hours, your body is not really your own. :)

Harriet J Gracey

2010-09-12T12:25:00.004-06:00

Our little Hattie J is finally here! 8 lb 3 oz and 21 inches. Born September 12, 2010 at 12:44 am.

Well that was slightly anticlimactic...

2010-09-07T22:20:00.010-06:00

Happy September 7th! She was supposed to be here today! I hate due dates!

Well after a typical day at work, a boring evening, a good cry, and a back rub from Jonathan I decided it was time to document this day with some photos. Let me tell you folks, I look HOT at 40.00 weeks of pregnancy. I know you all have probably seen those fancy cute maternity photo shoots some people get. Well we had our own classy version...

Mood Swings!

The typical belly profile shot

Get OUT!

Bare Belly!

Poor Belly Button.

So as much as I hoped that I'd be showing you all cute baby photos today I guess I'll settle for drowning my sorrows in a Slurpee, Hi-Chews, and posting pictures of my bare belly for anyone to look at. I'll probably wonder what I was thinking tomorrow.

The update? Went to the midwife this morning. I'm at a 3.5. She scheduled me to be induced next Tuesday morning if our little darlin' hasn't decided to come out on her own by then. We'll have her by this time next week for SURE!

When's the baby gonna come?

2010-09-05T18:45:00.005-06:00

It gets more and more difficult to leave the house these days. No, it's not because of my big belly, aching back, and swollen feet. I actually don't feel too bad. I can handle the discomforts that have come my way these past few weeks.

No, the thing that makes it hard to go out is what I get to hear from everyone. Every day.

People are really excited for you at the end of your pregnancy. I totally understand that. And I suspect they get especially excited for you when you're having your first child. This brings a lot of concerned and well-meaning comments, questions, and advice. THAT. I. CAN'T. HANDLE. ANYMORE. OF!

Here are some of my favorites comments thus far:

-"You know, the first labor is always the longest and hardest."

-"I labored 2309485000 hours with my first!"

-"You haven't even dropped yet! (this one I get all the time.)"

-"Wow! You're due next week? That went by fast!"

I also thought I'd include a list of frequently asked questions for all you curious people who don't get to see me often. Some of these questions I can understand being asked and I don't mind answering. Others I find endlessly annoying. Either way. Here are the answers... If only everyone I'm going to encounter before I have this baby could read this blog.

Q: When are you due?

A: September 7th. On Tuesday.

Q: You're still here?! (at work, church)

A: Uh... Yes I am. Would you like me to leave?

Q: When are they going to induce you?

A: Well I don't know that they will. Unless there is some sort of medical issue with me or the baby, they won't induce first-time mothers at least until you pass 41 weeks.

Q: Are you going to give birth naturally?

A: I plan to have an epidural and then push a live baby out of my you-know-where. Is that natural enough for you?

Q: Are you dilated yet? How much?

A: I was checked for the first time last Tuesday. I was dilated to a 2 and 80% effaced.

Q: Are you going to breastfeed?

A: That's the plan.

Q: Why did you decide to have a midwife? Don't you want to give birth in a hospital?

A: I researched my options and found that most women who choose the midwife route have great experiences. Midwives are generally more attentive during labor than doctors. The midwives I see have their office at the Intermountain Medical Center, where I will deliver. If any complications arise, a doctor experienced with high risk pregnancies and deliveries is always on call.

Q: Have you tried _______ to get your labor going? (spicy food, castor oil, walking, sex, the pizza at Trio, jumping on the trampoline, taking a bumpy car ride)

A: Mostly I've tried laying around on the couch. However, I was forced to shop for long hours on Friday evening and Saturday.

Q: Are you having contractions?

A: Yes.

Q: Do they hurt?

A: Rarely.

Q: Are there a lot of them?

A: Sometimes.

Q: Do you have any names picked out?

A: Hagrid.

Q: When's the baby gonna come?

A1 (I'm feeling patient): Oh I don't know... (polite laugh, smile). She'll come when she's ready.

A2 (I'm feeling devious): Uh... (blank look)... When will what come?

As I was writing this my family dropped by with some dinner for Jonathan and me. My mom yelled to me from the car that I should try jump-squatting down the stairs. I think she's just really excited to meet her first granddaughter. I'll add that to my list of things to try, Mom.

So I guess the hardest part about being 9 months pregnant is the repetitive and/or personal questions and the unsolicited advice and comments that I really don't want to hear.

Did this sound terribly ornery? Well that's probably because the cherry on top of everything happened at church today when an old man cornered me at church and asked me when I was due. After I told him, he informed me that a woman's first labor is always the most difficult and that he hoped I'd been doing the perineum exercises that can help prevent a woman from tearing so much while giving birth. He went on about how labor and delivery nurses are sometimes trained to do episiotomies in case the physician doesn't show up in time. Then his tangent took a turn for the worse. He said, "I don't see childbirth as a sexual thing at all. No it's a wonderful physiological thing when the baby comes. Not sexual."

Well, sir... thank you for that. You've just single-handedly given me one of the most uncomfortable moments I've had this whole pregnancy. Physical or otherwise. And I can assure you that childbirth being a "sexual thing" has never once crossed my mind and it kind of creeps me out that you even mentioned it. Also, I'll keep my perineal tissue to myself and not discuss it with men at church, thank you.

If I'm still pregnant next Sunday, I am NOT going to be at church.

pregnant. hungry. kicking baby. have to pee. can't breathe.

2010-08-12T19:54:00.006-06:00

So I haven't been around these parts in awhile. Last summer's tri-weekly posts about Ecuadorian adventures seem so far away but it's only been about a year and 4 days since we came home. The only Spanish I'm speaking now is the occasional explanation to a retiree of how they can withdraw money from their retirement account. What a life!

Don't worry, life is still good. It just couldn't be more different from what it was last year (besides the whole living creature leaching nutrients from inside my body. Is it bad to compare your unborn baby to your parasite?)

Well in case anyone has wondered, this summer has basically consisted of working at my busy job (which I love. Good coworkers and a ton to get done each day make for an awesome work environment), a fun trip to Newport with my fam, getting huge, nesting (organizing! cleaning! organizing! cleaning! decorating!), and spending as much quiet/alone/relaxing time with Jonathan as I can because it's about to get crazy up in here.

I'm 36.5 weeks. For those of you not familiar with the week stuff, a normal pregnancy duration is about 40 weeks. A baby born after 37 weeks is considered full term. I'm hoping to make it all the way to 40 just to give me extra time to prepare. I thought all moms-to-be were completely anxious to get their babies out out OUT! I'm not one of those. I need time! Aaahhhhh! Don't get me wrong, I'm excited to meet her. I'm just feeling slightly overwhelmed. Plus, I hear they're a little quieter and easier when they're still inside.

Baby is healthy and head is down. The midwife thinks she's 5.5 to 6 lbs. Weird cravings have been minimal... although I did have to stop on the way home from work yesterday to buy cottage cheese. That was a little weird. I've gained about 25 lbs. No stretch marks yet. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. The baby has officially taken over in there, though. My bladder, lungs, and stomach are suffering the consequences. Getting enough air is a huge challenge. Especially after eating an average-sized meal. And forget about eating a large meal. There is no room. I was about to say that I'm so excited to get my bladder back to full capacity so I can sleep through the night but I think it'll be awhile before I sleep through the night either way. Sigh. :)

Aaaand.... here's the belly at 36 weeks.

Oh. One more thing. We won't be attending a birthing class. So if there are any secrets that we need to know about that they only tell you in those classes, someone go ahead and let me know. And let's all save the horror stories for after the big day. Okay?

Boring Post... but with cute baby pictures!

2010-05-19T19:29:00.009-06:00

I love that I have family in St. George. It gives us good excuses to take mini-vacations. This past weekend we went down to see my cousin who just returned from his mission in Brazil and to say goodbye to his little brother who's leaving for a mission to Brazil in a couple weeks.

It was nice to get away, see family I hadn't seen in a long time, and get some warmth. We also got a little taste of what it's like to live with a two month old baby. Jonathan and I shared a hotel room with my sister, her husband, and our cute little nephew Jackson. He wasn't a huge fan of sleeping the first night.

Saturday we went to Zion National Park and hiked around a bit.

Do I look pregnant yet? This was around 24 weeks. I got a little tired and achy on the trail and was starting to feel bad for my poor pregnant self when this huge, much more pregnant lady passed me on her way back. I hope I can still hike around when I'm that pregnant.

Jonathan and I can't stop laughing at his face in this picture every time we see it. It could have been such a cute picture... we have a lot of those.

Little Jackson is just starting to smile and mimic people's faces. Jonathan and I had a blast with him on the way home. Every face that Jonathan made, Jackson would try to copy him. Cutest thing I've ever seen.

Tongues out.

maybe he scared him a bit in this one...

again with the tongues. I think Jackson's got a ways to go before he can do that though.

I just can't get enough of that big open-mouth smile. A couple hours later we stopped in Fillmore and Jack pooped on Emily. I'm glad I'm not quite to that point of parenthood yet.

Oh and of course Jonathan had to bring a little treat home for 'Cia. I think they're hilarious. Check it out:

The people dogs love to eat!

sugar and spice...

2010-04-15T18:29:00.003-06:00

Well, the ultrasound yesterday was without doubt the most fun part of being pregnant so far. And, well, nothing else about pregnancy has been really fun at all.

The ultrasound technician was really friendly and told us about everything we were looking at. The only problem was that the baby was very awkwardly tucked into a little tight spot in my uterus with legs crossed, arms over head, and face buried in the placenta. We were later told by the doctor that we have a very flexible little kid in there.

Baby did not want to move out of the tight little pretzel. It took forever to get all the measurements and pictures that they needed (which was fine by Jonathan and I since we got to spend more time watching our little one squirm around). The main problem for me was that they couldn't see the gender at all. I had to get up and pee and jump around and then the ultrasound tech tried again with no luck. She told me to lie on my side until the doctor came in. He finally came in and told us everything looks good and healthy. He then pushed and prodded (quite painfully) and shook but still no luck with the legs uncrossing. He made me get up and pee again and move around a bunch and FINALLY baby moved enough to get a good view. aaaaannndd....

Baby's a girl! We are so excited (and would have been either way). But little girl clothes! Fun! And now for those who have the ability to decipher ultrasound pics...

Profile of her face (I think) with her arm going up over her head. We couldn't get any really good profile pics since she was smushing her face into the placenta. The best one we got won't upload onto this post. Ugh!

creepy face shot. left eyeball and all

cute little foot!

...and one of the shots that showed the doctor that she's a girl. if anyone has any expertise in this, please take a look and make sure those look like girl parts to you too.

same with this one. shot of the girl parts.

In the back of my mind I'm a little nervous that the doctor might be wrong. Not that I wouldn't love to have a boy, but I want to plan for the right gender! It took them so long to decide what she is that I'm just a little worried that they finally just picked a sex to get me out of their ultrasound room.

I wonder how much Fetal Fotos charges.... I don't care about getting more pictures, I just want to make sure she's really a girl!

a lot can change in a year

2010-03-23T20:44:00.005-06:00

Well, at this time last year Jonathan and I were enjoying our first month of Ecuador. There was a lot to write about. Cute kids, delicious and cheap produce, odd bed situation, quirky culture differences, new friends, perfecting the language, weekend trips, gastrointestinal issues, beautiful landscape, interesting food, etc.

This year... well, life feels a lot different. Instead of three floors up in a sunny apartment in Riobamba, Ecuador, we're one floor down in a chilly basement apartment in Salt Lake. Instead of eating, sleeping, working, and playing together 24/7, I'm working 8am to 5pm five days a week in one place and he's working 11 am - 8 pm or 5pm - 12am five days a week somewhere else. During the week I'm lucky if we're awake together for 2.5 hours a day. Different. Harder. Not as fun to write about, but not bad. Just... life.

So what has been happening for us the past little while?

I got a full-time job back in January that I like a lot. It's not glamorous work by any stretch of the imagination, but it keeps me busy and I really like everyone I work with. AND starting April 1st I have medical insurance again for the first time since getting married. It's a big relief to have both of us insured. Phew.

Jonathan just got a job too. He works about 37 hours a week... I'm guessing so that they don't have to give him full-time employee benefits. Oh well. We're grateful for the 2nd income.

My sister had her baby two weeks ago and was nice enough to let me be there for the whole experience. It was amazing to watch a baby come into the world... and also kinda scared the crap outta me. Got a little gory at the end there. Emily did a great job through everything and little Jackson is soooo cute. See her blog for more pictures.

new family of 3!

Our little Ecuadorian souvenir causes us trouble trouble trouble, but somehow he's still around. I'm pretty sure he hasn't failed to eat every possible thing that could cause him to get sick and/or die. Chocolate (many occasions), rat poison (three occasions... I'm hoping we found it all finally.), poop, decomposing rats, that little do-not-eat package that comes in shoe boxes and beef jerky packages, whole rib bones, paper, half a bag of brown sugar, garbage garbage garbage, who knows what else. I'm sure I've missed things. Needless to say, we've done our fair share of barf clean-ups. He's hairy too. What I don't get is that we still love him. How do we love something so annoying? Good question.

our troublemaker licking the flavor out of his empty dog food bag.

bathtime after a muddy play-date with the neighbor's dog

notice the garbage strewn about him

We celebrated our first anniversary a few weeks ago by taking a picnic and 'Cia to the Great Salt Lake. Fun, low-key, and...the closest I can get to a beach in Utah in February. I realized a week later that we forgot to eat the top of our wedding cake that's been sitting in my parents' freezer for over a year now. Hm.

watching for the sunset in the car while Jonathan chased 'Cia around the salty beach.

Yes, life is pretty different than it was a year ago for Jonathan and me. Different and not really much to write home about. There is one exciting thing going on though... Exciting and VERY different from anything I was experiencing last year (unless you count the parasite)...

We are expecting a baby. Yep, us. WE, who said we were going to wait a couple years until we were more settled in, financially secure, blah blah blah, are having a baby. It was unplanned and a big surprise, but guess what? We are so happy and excited. I'm due the first week of September and I'm 16 weeks along today (Don't ask me how many months that is. I've found that's a frustrating question to figure out the answer to.). Anyway, we should be finding out the gender very soon. We're hoping for a boy or a girl. :)

People, no matter how normal you try to get, life is crazy.

and to many more happy years

2010-02-28T20:49:00.005-07:00

wish i had adequate words to describe how happy this man has made me.

it has been a wonderful, adventurous, fun, and happy first year.

mushy mush mush. happy anniversary, babe.

i'm on a horse.

2010-02-22T21:18:00.002-07:00

silly

2010-02-15T21:44:00.004-07:00

my mom thinks it's been too long since i've updated. probably. maybe i'll update everyone in a little while. for now, here's a picture from ecuador days. ecuador, i miss you.

life's good. a little stressful. kind of tiring. but there's lots of good in there too. all is well.

oh happy day!

2010-01-26T18:33:00.002-07:00

guess who started a new job today.

a full-time job.

with benefits.

guess... :)

2010-01-11T00:36:00.002-07:00

i quit.

no more working at my soul-killing job.

yay!

but now i seriously SERIOUSLY need a job. scary.

my nomination for today's "get a life" award

2010-01-02T00:25:00.002-07:00

just got home from work.

served a table of 4 snooty people that were pretty hard to please but thought i did a good job. they seemed content with everything.

after they were finished i dropped off their credit card with the receipt to sign and tip on. i grabbed a pen out of my pocket and gave it to the man with the receipt. the pen happened to have dark red ink.

after they sit and chat for two hours and i refill their water numerous times, they leave. i go to pick up the receipt and this is what he wrote on it:

"new years.

red ink?

please!

:( "

frowny face? seriously?

apparently he didn't approve of the red pen. and my tip reflected that.

so i ask you all... which is tackier: a server giving a customer a red pen to use to sign his or her credit card receipt OR a customer drawing a frowny face on his or her receipt and tipping the server badly because of the colored pen?

IT'S FOOD. IT'S A PEN. I'M A PERSON.

i am so done serving.*

*but not really because it's still my job.

thank you thank you thank you all!

2009-12-26T13:15:00.004-07:00

I am so humbled by the outpouring of support that Jonathan and I have received in response (I'm assuming) to my previous post. We received so many kind comments and words of encouragement on the blog, in emails, facebook messages, by phone, and in person.

The morning after I posted the depressing vent list, I received two gift cards in my email inbox. One from an aunt and another from a cousin. They said they were late wedding gifts, but they could not have come at a better time.

Later that night, a friend called to tell me that her family had an extra coat that might fit Jonathan. She brought it over the next morning along with a cute dress for me.

As I went to work that morning, Christmas Eve Eve, I finally started to feel that familiar twinge of Christmas happiness that I'd been trying to figure out how to find.

Upon returning home from work late that afternoon, I stopped in the kitchen to put some leftovers in the fridge and chat with Laura before heading downstairs to our apartment. As I stepped down the first few stairs, I saw slivers of wood, strips of bark, and ripped up paper all over the floor at the bottom of the stairs. 'Cia'd had a good time chewing on stuff last night and I hadn't cleaned it up yet. Then as I took a couple more steps down, I saw a bunch of presents under our little tree.

At first I was confused... I thought Jonathan and I decided not to get each other anything much this year, let alone 9 gifts. I knelt down next to the tree. Each gift had a tag that read either "To: J" or "To: A." Nothing was written to tell us who they were from.

It hit me. We'd been Secret Santa'd. I ran back upstairs to question Laura. She followed me back downstairs to see, saying she knew nothing about it. I called my mom. She swore it wasn't her.

I just have to say that it's amazing what a few unopened gifts under our tree did to lift my spirits on Christmas Eve. I don't think it was the fun of getting stuff that did it, as much as the realization that someone cares about Jonathan and me enough to do something that kind and generous. We decided to leave the gifts for Christmas morning. As I went about my Christmas Eve activities I couldn't stop thinking about how wonderful people are.

After the festivities of Christmas Eve with each of our families, Jonathan and I went home to enjoy each other. We put on some Christmas music classics and lit some candles. I gave 'Cia a bath and picked up the apartment while Jonathan worked on his painting for Josh. At about 11:30, Jonathan had to run over to my parents' house for something he needed for Josh's present. He went upstairs to leave and then came back down carrying a box he'd found on the front doorstep. The tag said "Merry Christmas, Amanda and Jonathan." We opened it to find lots of food, baked goods, and candy.

The next morning we opened our presents from Secret Santa. We got some very nice and much needed new clothes, a cash gift card, a restaurant gift card, and some muffin mix.

Then I noticed an envelope on the tree that I'd missed before. I have no idea when it showed up there. It was an anonymous card with a generous amount of cash inside.

Another gift on the tree was from another friend: a grocery gift card.

We went to my parents' and were received with more nice gifts. Then on to my grandparents where we received a game and another generous late wedding gift that again, could not have come at a better time.

Christmas evening, at the Graceys', I finally succumbed to my first game of Settlers of Catan (thanks Sica) and actually really enjoyed it (and won) despite it's length. Two friends stopped by to visit with their cute kids and dropped off another generous gift card.

We feel so loved.

To all who have given to us, thank you, thank you, and thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your thoughtfulness and generosity means more than I could ever express. Christmas quickly turned around for me from being a painful reminder of how little we have to a beautiful reminder of how much we really do have in people who love us.

To those who gave us the food, clothes, gift cards, and cash anonymously, I wish I knew who you were so I could thank you personally. Please know that as soon as we have the means, your wonderful good deed to us will be paid forward to another. Thanks for the excitement, anticipation, and true spirit of Christ that you have given us.

We love you all. Merry Christmas.

moaning myrtle

2009-12-22T00:47:00.005-07:00

I've been wanting to blog more. I really enjoy connecting with people through blogs. My problem is that I'm afraid I'll just keep posting downer posts if I post at all. Thus all the random YouTube clip posts lately. I don't want to use my blog just to gripe, whine, complain, and vent... but on the other hand, I want to write about some of the struggles I've been having lately.

Yes, I could write these things privately, but is there or is there not some great release in just telling the whole world (or maybe 20 people) that life sucks sometimes? ...And then move on. I think there is.

So if you're not in the mood for Moaning Myrtle, then go read nienie. She deals with a lot more than me and still seems happy and upbeat. Whatev. I'm giving in.

If you want to commiserate, read on...

-I got fired from a dream job that I had for three days in August because I wasn't peppy enough.

-I now work in a restaurant under the most power-tripping, demeaning, socially inept, and just plain mean boss ever. I hate going to work but I pick up every possible shift because we need money so badly.

-Actively job-hunting since May has been hurting my ego and slowly killing my soul.

-Jonathan finally found a job. An hour away. $9/hour. 1-2 days/week. bluh.

-I hate money.

-Student loans are the bane of my existence. Sallie #$@%ing Mae wants to eat our firstborn. they also say we owe $3000 that Jonathan never used (in addition to the $15,000 that we legitimately owe). The Art $@!&ing Institute wants to eat our doggy. they say they sent the Sallie Mae money back. Sallie Mae begs to differ. It's a mess.

-If we pay the minimum amounts to our creditors each month, plus rent, we usually can't buy enough food. I bring home food from the restaurant as much as possible and we eat at parents' houses a lot. The pits.

-We keep getting tantalizing possible job opportunities that have all shriveled up and died just as we were getting excited about them.

-Settlers of Catan has stolen my husband.

-My brother-in-law and sister-in-law are getting divorced and I'm so sad/frustrated/confused/depressed/angry about it.

-Buying Christmas gifts is pretty out of the question.

-We haven't been able to afford to get one of our vehicles inspected, registered, and titled in our name. Tonight Jonathan got pulled over and was given a ticket for expired registration. $$$. Now we really can't afford to. The cop said he decided not to impound the car because "Merry Christmas."

-I love decorating and reading design and craft blogs but our place is really blah. Nothing on the walls. No money + lack of motivation = ugly house.

-Policia chewed my only decent church shoes to oblivion. He chewed holes in the halfway decent ones so I still wear them but my feet get wet.

-Jonathan doesn't have a coat. We are running out of pants that don't have holes or stains.

-An old man at work yelled at me and told me I am despicable because he wasn't happy with the amount of time his food took to get to him. Instead of saying something horrible back I held it in. Then I cried. Then my boss threatened to fire me in front of all the customers and coworkers because of something random and stupid. I had to keep serving but I couldn't stop crying. I felt weak and stupid. Then my boss got mad because I was unprofessional for crying in front of customers.

-I have anxiety that someone I love is going to get hurt, sick, or die.

-We still haven't written thank you notes for all of our wedding gifts and I feel terrible about it. People were so generous and I still haven't thanked so many of them! I'm horrible!

-I want to control a lot things that I can't possibly control.

-My digestive system still suffers the effects of Ecuador.

-I will probably get fired for writing all this stuff about work and my boss on this blog. Everyone cross your fingers that he's not an internet stalker.

Anyway... We're fine. We'll be fine. Maybe one day we'll even have extra money and jobs we like. Right now it's just the uncertainty that's so hard. When is it going to get a little easier? Who knows. Will it get even harder? I hope not.

I hear on the news about kids going missing, young spouses dying, and terrible accidents and abuse. I read about people with horrible illnesses and health struggles. I hear my parents report on a refugee family they're helping for Christmas that has no kitchen table, blankets, towels, beds, etc. All of that makes me feel a so guilty for thinking that my life is hard right now. We're mostly healthy. We have the necessities. Why am I complaining?!

The good news is that Jonathan is a trooper. He gets way less stressed about all these things than I do, which is a relief. We can't both be a mess. He keeps me sane. He and the rest of my family are my happy and bright section of life. Everything else seems a little dim and uncertain right now. Thank you, Heavenly Father for family.

...and also for blogs. Writing this all down has been cathartic. I'm glad that I've done it. I won't always blog about hard things but today I am and it's fine.

If anyone else feels like griping, venting, whining, or complaining, feel free to do it in the comments. It'll be fun. Just this once. You can even post anonymously if you need to. I'll also take any advice from anyone on any point I've whined about in the list. In addition, any good vibes, prayers, or happy thoughts in our behalf would mean a lot.

In the words of a new friend of mine (and probably a lot of other people), "Life sucks and then you die. So you might as well be happy." The ultimate pessimist's optimism. I'm going to try it.

you will love

2009-12-12T17:32:00.001-07:00

don't know who he is or where he's from but he is awesome. end of story.

favorite movie quote

2009-12-08T00:41:00.003-07:00

man: ...the train service has improved so.

Cecil: I always travel by balloon.

from the film "A Room with a View," based on the novel by E.M. Forster.

Thank You, BBC

2009-12-02T15:41:00.006-07:00

I'm a sap. Can't get BBC's new version of Emma out of my head. It's not available in the U.S. yet but someone posted all 4 episodes on youtube in 10 minute parts.

Jane Austen has grown on me in my old age. Sigh.

My favorite dance scene I've ever seen in a movie. I just love it:

Go check it out if you're an Austen fan. Warning: make sure you have 4 hours to spare over the next couple of days. It's divided into hour-long episodes, but it's hard not to just click right onto the next. Here's the first one.

P.S. Can someone please organize a ball like that? And we all have to dress like that and learn the dances and have a live orchestra. Pretty please?

my new favorite part about christmas...

2009-11-29T01:13:00.003-07:00

is this little surprise that i found at a recent trip to dan's:

those equal these:

which we all know are the best part about easter.

thanks, santa.

2009-11-23T23:39:00.012-07:00

I haven't been writing much lately, but life is continuing along.

My cute sister is getting more and more pregnant. I can't wait for my little nephew to come in march.

My mom's side of the family all celebrated my grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary this past weekend. My Papa proposed to my Granny with the ring I now wear as my own wedding ring. Two cows were sold to pay for it in the 50's.

The cute couple

They didn't get to cut the cake at their own wedding, so my amazing aunt Cathy made a beautiful anniversary cake and they cut it in front of all of their posterity.

Happy with the family

My beautiful and sweet cousin married her best friend of 7 years on Saturday. It was the first temple sealing I'd seen since my own and it was just beautiful. There are no words for how it feels to have the promise of an eternal life with the person you love most in the world.

They got married in the Jordan River Temple so there were no steps to fit the family on for the picture... which our big family kind of needs.

I loved her hair!

My family at the temple. 3 of my cousins have come to live with my parents for awhile. They are so cute and fun to have around.

My mom and I trying to stay warm during the temple picture-taking.

My Granny putting the finishing touches on her beautiful cake.

It turned out so cute and unique. Perfect for Lindsay and Jeff.

I loved these little birds on the top of the cake.

Jonathan watching Ice Age in the basement of the reception center while the bride got ready.

They had a little ring ceremony before the dinner and read a Shakespearean sonnet together.

I got to be a bridesmaid. The dress was cute but I ended up flashing some people during the dancing part of the night. Oops.

yaaaaaawn...

2009-10-28T11:38:00.004-06:00

i was complaining to jonathan yesterday about how i want to blog more but there's nothing to say.

so jonathan told me to blog about our doggy. well he's fun and exciting for us and we love him but i think i already talk about him to much to my friends and family and they're probably sick of him. i can't help but post a cute picture of him though.

he suggested i blog about his beard. jonathan has had a beard for the first time in his life for about 3 months now. he might shave it soon. i think he's hot both ways so whatever.

he suggested i blog about the work we're doing on our little basement apartment. we've been painting a lot. our new bedroom is now a blueish greenish. swan sea. it looks better than it sounds. i can't wait to get carpet and organized.

i refuse to get too settled in my current blugh restaurant job... which means i've been officially searching for a job for more than 5 months. rough.

jonathan has been searching for a job for about 3 months. he even resorted to applying at 7-11 the other day. :(

my little bro, josh, got swine flu. i hear gargling warm salt water twice a day and drinking hot drinks or soups helps keep flu germs from growing in your throat. let's hope it works.

i have never been a huge t.v. person, but abc's new show flashforward is really entertaining. we've been watching it. i recommend it.

so see? nothing too crazy going on around here. life's kind of a yawn right now. but a good yawn.

(pay attention starting at 00:11)

yep, life's kind of like that.

duck pajamas

2009-09-25T23:00:00.006-06:00

thanks to everyone who commented on my post-college crisis thoughts from a couple of days ago. it's nice to know i'm not the only one in a weird spot in life or that hates that need for money is guiding my decisions. i appreciate hearing people's thoughts and experiences. sometimes, through being honest and open about our frustrations and hardships, we can really comfort and motivate each other. yes!

jonathan and i just got back from volunteering at ascend's (the organization we interned for) annual gala. it was quite an experience to sit in the company of people throwing around thousands of dollars for basketball games, private concerts, and vacations during the live auction. of course it was all for a good cause and i know the people in the countries that ascend works in will really benefit from the money coming to them. (it would be cool if we didn't have to use luxury vacations to get help to the poor, but if it works, it works. aaahhhhhhh i said it. whew feels good to get that off my chest. okay.)

jonathan was in the silent auction with his design skills up for bid. he spent days (and even pulled an all-nighter after they made a bunch of print changes) designing the program for this gala. so we were hoping someone would bid on him at the gala to help pay for his hours of work on the program design. we don't know if anyone bid on him yet. i have to say, i'll be disappointed if he doesn't get paid for his hard work.

BUT we can live off of canned tuna and rice here just like we did in ecuador if we have to. and there are always our parents for a nice meal. it's funny to think that we're about as poor as the people we worked with in ecuador right now.

well, financial security is overrated. i'm serious. i'm happier now, poor, than i was a couple years ago when i had a lot of money.*

plus, jonathan is wearing my duck pajama pants right now (from the girls' section of aeropostale), and that makes me happy too.

(no pictures please:)

*not to say one can't have money and happiness. someday.... someday.

this is what happens when you don't feel like giving up your husband to guys night.

2009-09-22T22:45:00.009-06:00

What I am doing right now:

(the edge of the laptop screen in the bottom left corner of the photo means that i'm participating in my own amusement... not wii mario battle or whatever it is.)

What I wish I was doing right now:

(the blanket is every bit as soft as it looks. the pink wingback chairs next to me are the ones i hope to reupholster... someday. also, when did jonathan take this picture?)

What I hope Policia is doing right now. (and not chewing up chair legs or eating rat poison)

feeling philosophic

2009-09-21T23:53:00.005-06:00

what is it with all these thoughts in my head?

how is it that i have four chairs and a kitchen table and a headboard and walls that all need painting or reupholstering or both and i haven't started. why can't i start?!?!

is there ever not someone in the del taco drive-through? nope. there is always someone. always.

i want kids. ...do you really have to have money to have kids?

my dog is cute. why does he love jonathan more than me?

family is the answer to life.

i love colorful walls but i really want to paint my walls gray.

it's getting cold outside. crisp. it feels weird. aren't i supposed to be going to school when this happens?

i met this girl that's really nice. like really really nice. seemingly genuinely nice and caring. like she wants to really make you feel good and welcome and happy and belonging. really. why do i have to wonder if it's fake niceness? are people really that nice with no motives? can i be?

how did i ever get lucky enough to have someone that makes me happier than i've ever been just by being himself? who he is. even when i'm sore and exhausted from work and being a grown-up i'm just happy when he's there. i can honestly say that i don't care how sappy or mushy that sounds. and the below picture...

says it. sums it up. i love it. sappy mushy happiness.

vacuuming can change your outlook on life. (and in a way that sweeping never will. there's always that line of dust and tiny crumbs that won't get on the dustpan.)

maps are so beautiful and intriguing to me. but why?

what am i supposed to be doing at this exact point in life? if money were not an issue, what would i be doing right now?

basically i don't know what the heck i'm doing. i studied politics. i'm working as a server. i feed people and fancily open bottles of wine and hope i look like i know what the heck i'm doing. because i don't. and when people are snooty to me and look down their noses at the waitress that just brought them the wrong spaghetti and doesn't know what wine to drink with salmon and grated parmesan cheese onto their cell phone... i wonder what the heck i'm doing. and even when i get a huge tip because the couple loved their just-attentive-enough server and delicious food and perfect wine... i wonder what the heck i'm doing.

i know step-by-step u.s. foreign policy during the cold war. i know about lots of u.s. presidents and what they did and why and how they got elected. i know that great britain has a constitutional monarchy; that gabriel garcia marquez often wrote in the literary style of magical realism; that cinco de mayo isn't really mexico's independence day; when to use the subjunctive tense (usually). now i'm learning about differences between merlots and pinot noirs and chiantis and that pasta florentine means that it has spinach and how to make lattes versus cappuccinos.

and what does any of it matter? is all of my knowledge only important because of the experiences i'm having while working to gain it? because i sure can't solve any pressing political problems of the day. i can't even take a side. and i can hardly bear to listen to people who talk about the side they've taken. i can't solve the illegal immigrant family's poverty, suffering, and worries by speaking spanish to them. i don't even want to be able to tell someone what wine they might like but now i have to.

you know what sounds kinda good?

move into a little log house with rocking chairs and with lots of land. have chickens and cows for food. maybe a goat too because they're funny. grow crops for food. burn a fire for warmth and a candle for light. read books and sing and dance and play games for fun. have a duck and a pig and a couple more dogs for pets. bake bread and grow pumpkins for the county fair once a year. simple life. not easy, but simple.

anyone with me?

It's all a game of give and take.

2009-09-11T18:41:00.007-06:00

I think everyone knows that sometimes life just doesn't give you what you ask it for... or even what you think you deserve. Sometimes life even tells you it's giving you something and then takes it away. Sometimes life just takes and takes.

I have to try to remember during the taking times how good the giving times are. And for me, the giving times the past year have given a lot of good stuff.

Recently, Life took away a cool job that I had for only 3 days.

Well... maybe it wasn't going to be that cool of a job anyway.

Life took away 650 dollars to give our cute dog a plasma transfusion and overnight care at the emergency vet to stave off his extreme internal bleeding (He ate rat poison.).

BUT he lives and is currently wrestling with Jonathan on the floor next to me.

Life took away a chunk from the bottom of my foot thanks to a rusty nail right before my 6-hour server shift. And then it took away 40 bucks more for a tetanus booster.

At least I made enough in my shift to pay for it.

Life broke the drivers' side door to my beloved little red truck (or was that Jonathan?).

Then Life loaned us another car to drive for awhile and it even has AC and power steering (thanks Mom and Dad).

When Life was making us a little discouraged about rent prices and unemployment,

Life decided to give us an nice aunt who offered to rent us her basement for a good deal.

I guess the point I'm trying to make to myself is... Life is sometimes hard but good anyway. Also, marriage is awesome. And so so poor.

So for those of you out of the loop (who care to be in the loop), I found a job as a server. Jonathan's working on freelance graphic design jobs, looking for a more consistent job, and getting ready to go back to school in a few weeks. We live in Laura's basement. The red truck has a couple more dents and the door doesn't shut right. Rat poison is the devil. Someone needs to think of a less painful and less dangerous way to kill rats and mice. Moving has made me realize that I keep too much stuff and that life is just as good without literal excess baggage. Now someone throw it all away. (Notes and homework from my first semester of college as a metallurgical engineering student? I seriously thought I should keep that?) Policia (our dog) is scared of the guitar when it's being played. My lil sis is preg. woo! Also, Jonathan has a beard.

How's that for an update?

Oh, Sarah's been asking to see a picture of Policia, or "Cia," as we usually call him. (yes, he answers to "See Ya!" Oops.) So today will be his big blog debut.

My mom says he looks like a Dingo. Dingos are wild dogs from Australia. The vet said he looks like an Australian Shepherd. We know he's a mut from an indigenous village in Ecuador. So maybe we'll just call him an Ecuadorian Shepherd.

My boys.

When he was suffering the effects of rat poison. Evil evil rat poison.

Here you can see where the vet shaved his right leg to put in the catheter for the plasma transfusion.

Here he is playing with my family dog, Cleo. It's a semi-long video for what it is so I'll tell you that the highlight for me is from 00:59 to 00:30.

Okay now I definitely feel like a mommy blogger. Except I'm just a dog mom. Nothing to be ashamed of. Right?

So. That's life for now.

i miss blogging

2009-08-22T16:34:00.005-06:00

and i have a lot i could say.

i could tell about the amazingly fun last two weeks traveling ecuador with jonathan's bro and sis.

i could tell about how awesome and wonderful it was to see all of our family and friends (and grocery stores and normal cuts of meat and a queen bed) upon returning home.

i could tell the story about the cute ecuadorian puppy named policia that we got the day we got home.

i could tell about the fun trip to bear lake with the whole honkin' chamberlain fam.

i could tell about how exciting it was to get a job that i loved... and then how heartbreaking it was when it didn't work out.

i could tell about how we almost moved into my great-grandma's old house while it's being sold but then they got their first offer on it the day we were planning to move in. (after trying to sell it all year with NO offers)

i could tell about how awesome my husband is.

i could tell about how we're living out of suitcases and boxes because we're in a small bedroom at my parents' house with no room for anything.

we've really had some great ups and some hard downs in the past month.

but... i won't go too much into all that. maybe in the future i'll put up a few choice pictures and videos.

for now, jonathan and i are job-hunting and apartment-hunting. and we're oh-so-grateful for our supportive families.

If you or someone you know is hiring...

jonathan:

aspiring mid-degree graphic designer with lots of experience and a good portfolio. 2 years experience as a server.

amanda:

recent U of U grad in poli-sci and spanish. also 2 years experience as a server.

but really, life is still good even when it's sometimes bad and you get knocked on your bum.

and we're gonna be OOOOkay!

my mom worries when i don't blog

2009-07-28T21:14:00.008-06:00

So..... wow. I am exhausted.

I'll start on Friday the 17th, the day after my last post.

Actually, that's too tiring to think about. Quick summary seems nice. Jonathan and I spent Friday the 17th through Wednesday the 22nd living (camping) in a remote community about 1.5 hours outside of Riobamba. We, along with the Ascend staff, were in charge of an expedition of 50 United Statesians doing humanitarian projects in two communities to make people's lives better.

What got done:

2 brick ovens built for baking bread and pizza to sell
most of a cafeteria for a school
part of a classroom for a school
cooking classes to teach the people how to use the ovens to make bread and pizza
cooking classes to teach the people how to use healthy crops they grow in creative ways
sex ed class
family planning class
2 medical treatment clinics
2 playgrounds built and painted
2 community parks renovated and painted
english classes
remodeling of a classroom
business techniques classes
teaching new games to the kids
making puppets, a puppet theater, and putting on a puppet show for the community
dancing and cultural exchanges
first aid class
parenting techniques class
nutrition classes

The people of the communities were really happy with how it all turned out and I think the expedition participants were too. You may remember my post about the Park City 5. This expedition was made up mostly of the friends and family of 5 teenagers from Park City who died in separate accidents within the same year. Serving some of the most needy people here in Ecuador was a way for loved ones to honor these kids in a meaningful way.

Planning for the expedition (menu, food, buying utensils, planning the agenda, figuring out the budget, etc.) was one of the most stressful and difficult things I've ever done. It has also been one of the most rewarding. And exhausting. I'm grateful for my current opportunity of working in such a satisfying job.

Wednesday, the last day of the expedition, I was sick. Again. Sick again. Seriously?

This time my sickness involved the most painful pain I've ever felt. Luckily it passed in less than a day.

Thursday we took an extra long 7 hour bus ride to Cuenca for the big fundraising Gala we've been planning. It was a fancy night. People were dressy. Money was raised. Music was played. Good food was eaten.

I had to translate a bit since we had a good mix of English and Spanish-speakers there. We danced until 2:30 am with our coworkers and then Jonathan and I crashed into a twin bed. Exhaustion and satisfaction. Did I mention I am exhausted? Also, it was fun.

Upon returning home to Riobamba from Cuenca, we found Jonathan's brother, James, waiting at our doorstep. We all headed up to Quito to pick up Kristine from the airport. Now we're doing Ecuador and it's great. And I'm tired. But it's great.

We've done Quito, now headed to Baños, then to the Amazon to explore, then to Guamote, then Guayaquil, then Montañita, then maybe Isla de la Plata. Home on the 8th in the morning!

Here are some memories from the expedition...

kids singing a welcome song for the expedition

view from one of the expedition communities

another view

making pancakes for breakfast for 65 people.

handy ladder coming out of the roof

parenting techniques class

pizza cooking class

peeling the bark off for the swingset before we painted

pizza cooking class again.

the new swingset. the kids were on it all day and all night.

family planning class... bananas and condoms involved

village troublemaker with his new puppet

jonathan and daniel painting their mural.

the final product. Park City mountains alongside Andes mountains.

My new friends Blanca and Ana Maria who begged me to take a picture with them but then got really shy when the camera came out. They plan on not getting married until they're 30 and in the meantime studying to be chefs and working in big cities in Ecuador. Very rare ambitions for their culture.

building the community brick oven.

new swingset in progress in Galte Miraloma.

this kid was so excited for the swing that he wouldn't wait for the paint to dry.

above the clouds in the communities.

carlos speaking at the fancy gala in cuenca

Ascend staff and interns from Riobamba and Cuenca plus Sallee and Carolyn from headquarters in Salt Lake. At the Gala in Cuenca.

So there's a quick summary and some pictures for ya'll. Now I'm off to Baños to soak in some hot springs and ride bikes to beautiful waterfalls. See you all soon!

campamento

2009-07-16T21:43:00.007-06:00

Well I promised a post about last weekend and I will write one. It has been a crazy week for us. Tonight a group of 50 Utahns arrived in Quito. Tomorrow afternoon they'll meet us out in one of the little communities we work in and we'll work work work until Wednesday.

It has taken a ton of planning and running around like chickens with our heads cut off to get this expedition organized. I think we've done our absolute best to have it go smoothly. Now let's just hope it really does. Tomorrow the real crazyness begins. Wish us luck.

Now back to last weekend.

Jonathan was told 2 Sundays ago that that coming Friday we would have a Young Men and Young Women campout. 1 night. The Young Women leader told Jonathan to bring me and since they know that we've both camped with church groups before, that we'd just tell them what you're supposed to do on campouts. Jonathan suggested that we take a couple more weeks and plan a little more but, in the words of the YW leader, "These things are just better when you don't plan them too much." (in Spanish... but you get the idea.)

I was a little skeptical of how this would all turn out on such short notice. Plus it's REALLY cold in the high areas of Ecuador right now and the thought of sleeping in a tent just didn't sound fun. But.... Of course I agreed to go. I knew it had potential.

Ecuador has very few campgrounds and campouts just aren't something the locals do much. So a couple in the ward offered their friends' cabin. It turned out to be in a beautiful area. Plus bathrooms and a kitchen. We slept in tents on their land so we could get a little of the campout experience.

It basically played out like a normal church campout... campfire testimony devotional thingy, hot chocolate, marshmallow roasting, stepping in cow pies in the dark, playing hide and seek and sardines in the dark, squeaaaaaling giggling girls, showoff-y guys, and an amazing hike.

I had a thick sleeping bag and didn't get too cold. Everything was pretty much great. Here are some pictures we took. If you're friends with Jonathan on facebook, you've probably already seen them.

view from the cabin in the morning. rio chambo.

the cabin

jonathan with a couple of his young men. andres and shayid.

on the hike... i guess they were under the impression that if everyone held onto the rope they wouldn't fall into the stream.

excited for a day of hiking.

sometimes jonathan is a 6-year-old boy.

eating limes with salt... makes my tongue hurt to watch.

a gate post that jonathan and i found funny. seems like they couldn't decide what to put on it so they just put everything. pyramid...hot air balloon...

an awkward group picture that left me wondering why we were all raising our hands.

jonathan crossing a very precarious bridge over a very fast river. i tried to make him stop but sometimes i feel guilty for smothering adventurousness... just hope he doesn't die.

hiking break.

jonathan and some great countryside.

me and a great cow (that really wanted me to go away)

All in all it was a great time. However, I'm asking myself now if it was worth it. Why?

Saturday after we got home, I showered and took a nap. Then I woke up and puked. And then puked again. Then again. The next day I had the worst headache of my life, fever chills, aches. Next day I felt a little better besides the headache. Next day all day stomachache again.

I ate something BAD.

Those who have read my blog for awhile know that I've had my share of sickness... I think I forgot what it feels like to feel healthy and good.

I'm making a good recovery, though, so let's hope I stay good for the expedition. I'll keep you posted on how it goes.

I just updated Ascend's Ecuador blog. If anyone's interested in learning more about what we'll be doing on this expedition, go here!

everything is amazing and nobody's happy!

2009-07-13T19:47:00.007-06:00

I want to post about our crazy weekend, but I don't feel like it tonight. So here's an awesome video that Jonathan found while entertaining himself yesterday while I was on my ~~death~~ sick bed. Comedian Louis CK on Conan.

Maybe it's at least a step in the right direction if we can realize it and laugh at it...

Now let's all be happy with our amazing world! woohoo!

p.s. conan is the hugest skinny guy ever.

ethnocentriiiidiot

2009-07-06T16:46:00.005-06:00

So I'm always on the lookout for creative/interesting/funny/beautiful websites and blogs. Because of some comments made on a post by the mormonchildbride, I stumbled upon a website called Not Always Right. People send in stories about dealing with crazy customers and we all get to laugh and commiserate (and wonder what the world is coming to). I was scanning the archives and I thought I'd share with you a submission by an employee of a travel store that...well....see for yourself.

Travel Store Customer: “Do you have any globes that have the United States bigger? I don’t need all this Africa, I just really want the US and Europe.”

...

Folks, that's just sad on a number of levels.

I feel like there are a lot of people with these narrow-minded notions when it comes to the world and I would rant but I'm kind of in a good mood and let's just laugh at this instead. Also I have no intention of sounding self-righteous because by no means do I have a perfect and well-rounded (no pun intended) view of the world. I'll just invite dear Travel Store Customer to get out a little more... maybe even outside of the Northern Hemisphere. Who knows what you'll find!

Coincidentally, the mormonchildbride's most recent controversial post has a bit to do with ethnocentrism within the LDS church. check it out.

what have we been up to?

2009-06-30T18:50:00.011-06:00

a lot. Here's the run-down on the past couple of weeks.

~Jonathan finished his 40-page magazine for Ascend. Printed and ready-to-go.

~We took a weekend trip to Quito.

~We ended our month-long stint without a camera. Thanks to Mom and Dad for the new camera a to Sarah Ligget for bringing it to us and showing us around Quito for an evening. Back to taking silly, random pictures.

~We slept in a hostel for $6. It was even a private room. One of the many reasons to love South America.

~We explored beautiful Quito. All the colonial Spanish buildings reminded me of living in Spain.

~We took pictures of tons of cool doors.

~We saw the site where Simon Bolivar arrived on his first visit to Ecuador. I expressed to Jonathan my excitement about this location and the thrill of seeing it in real life after studying so much about Simon Bolivar as a Latin American History minor. He expressed to me his excitement about recognizing the font on the plaque… Trajan, apparently. Ah, college.

~We accidentally got in the way of the changing of the guards ceremony at the capitol building. Oops. Oh well... it wasn't nearly as grand as the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace.

~We saw a statue of Bolivar’s chum, Mariscal Sucre (won the decisive battle for Ecuador's independence from Spain), that I swear was really Joseph Smith. See for yourself.

~We got poured on by the rain.

~We saw a kid selling ~~nooses~~ whips?

~We went home to Riobamba and on with the work.

~I translated Ascend’s bylaws into Spanish. Yikes.

~I had a Skype job interview with the Utah Council for Citizen Diplomacy. Cross your fingers and pray for me; I would love this job.

~Jonathan had his first Young Men activity. Pizza, a movie, and popcorn. A success!

~I continue to read home design and DIY blog after blog after blog.

~I dream of living in my great-grandma's old house. Love that house... If only we had the money to buy.

~Jonathan writes songs on the guitar and always has a new melody going through his head.

~We got stuck on a steep hill while trying to deliver a too-big-for-our-truck load of bricks to a remote community.

~After the men, women, and some strong little kids from the community hauled up a good portion of the bricks on their backs, we pushed and finally made it.

~Jonathan played with some boys in the community and they shared their scythe with him.

~We played in the nursery.

~To thank us for the bricks, the community leaders gave us lunch. Potatoes and cuy (guinea pig).

~I cut my long bangs with dull kitchen scissors… no pictures, please.

~We missed Matt and Heather’s wedding. :( We heard it was beautiful, though, and are so happy for them!

~We went for a walk on the outskirts of Riobamba… got caught in a rainstorm and drenched.

~I made spaghetti for the bajillionth time. WHEN will Jonathan get sick of it?! Please!

~We talked to family on Skype.

~ We went with our coworkers to check out a new community that needs some help. We hiked with the community leaders through the countryside so they could show us their aquifer. Beautiful and exhilirating. That's me in the pink, taking a dramatic bow after I slipped and almost slid down the mountain.

~This community fed us a huge lunch of toasted corn, chicken and rice soup, potatoes with peanut sauce, rabbit, and fresh Babaco (Mountain Papaya) juice.

~We, along with the Ascend team, continue to tirelessly organize agenda, projects, supplies, menu, transportation, lodging, etc. for the expedition.

~Jonathan and I watched Disney sing-along videos one after another on YouTube before bed last night. We recommend it. Always a good time. ...I know you; I walked with you once upon a dream....

~This afternoon we stared at each other in disbelief as we sat through a ten second earthquake. It wasn’t strong enough to knock you off your feet, but definitely shaking the buildings and definitely spooky. According to some seismic tracking websites and some volcano websites, Tungurahua, the active volcano near Riobamba, has been a little more active than usual the past week… spewing molten rocks and ash and such. And apparently causing little earthquakes. UPDATE: The Riobamba newspaper this morning reported the earthquake as 4.5 on the Richter Scale.

Here’s a picture of Tungurahua erupting in 2006. Photo taken in Riobamba and courtesy of scienceblogs.com.

(Mom: even if the volcano starts erupting like this again, we are not close enough to be in danger of lava nor flying molten rocks. just ash in the air.)

~I continue to perfect my very convincing bark to rile up the neighbor dogs. Never ceases to entertain.

So what have you been up to?

the king of pop (and grabbin' his crotch)

2009-06-25T18:07:00.007-06:00

this is how i always want to remember michael jackson...

endearing...cute kid...amazing voice

you know, i'd even love to remember him like this...

but, sadly, i'll probably mostly remember him this way:

nevertheless, i'm a little sad to see him go.

reverberations

2009-06-21T14:21:00.006-06:00

Growing up it seemed that whenever my dad had a moment to himself, he enjoyed making music. These moments usually only came after a long day at work, then helping kids with algebra and science projects, wrestling with the boys, church calling responsibilities, and maybe even a quick little repair of a leaky faucet or trimming the lawn. Many times it was only after his kids were all tucked into bed that my dad had those moments to himself in the living room with the piano, a notebook, a pencil, and sheets of staff paper waiting to be filled.

I remember lying in bed many nights during my childhood and teenage years and hearing piano music drifting softly in from the living room. Falling asleep to the hushed tones of my dad's voice and the piano serenade was always comforting.

Every now and again, my dad would call the family into the living room after he had finally completed one of his songs, the accompaniment, lyrics, and everything. He'd tell us he wanted to show us his new song. We wouldn't tell him that we already knew it by heart, that we already loved it, that we'd all fallen asleep to it for the past month. We'd just stand beside the piano and softly hum the melody as he played.

When I moved out of my parents' home, the comfort of my dad's late night serenades was one of the things I missed the most.

Later on, as I got to know Jonathan, one of his qualities that drew me in was his love for music. From any decade, any genre, there was just so much that he loved. His wide range of music taste was fun and endearing. He loved playing the guitar and singing.

These things helped me fall in love with him, but I never would have thought that Jonathan and his love for music could bring me that same joy and comfort that I got from my dad while I was growing up.

At four o'clock this morning, I woke up and realized Jonathan wasn't in bed with me. I heard the faint tones of a guitar coming from the front room. I smiled. He was at it again... writing that song.

* * * *

Happy Father's Day, Dad. Thanks for your warmth and soothing music.

Happy Father's Day, Kerry. Thanks for your kind and welcoming spirit and for raising my awesome husband so well.

Jonathan, thanks for playing music all the time, just like my dad.

In the spirit of Father's Day...

Jonathan bought this shirt in Quito this weekend and wore it around all day Saturday. He really does love his dad.

I love my dad too.

happily ever after?

2009-06-16T15:59:00.008-06:00

I was poking around this cool site today and I stumbled upon this interesting project by photographer Dina Goldstein.

Maybe this will make you feel sad, maybe it'll make you laugh, maybe it will offend you or make you angry, but I love it. The project is called "Fallen Princesses."

Take a look...

you have to notice the detail in this one... the horse race on the old television, the 70's looking house, the dog eating chips that have spilled on the floor, prince charming with a hole in his tights, snow white's bare feet, multiple children in soggy diapers... amazing. can anyone relate?

gotta love the dark socks with tevas

this one caused some controversy on the website.

this just makes my heart hurt, but the photo is amazing

this one might be my favorite.

The idea of putting our well-known and well-loved fairytale princesses into modern day situations that loosely reflect their plight/character in their original stories fascinates me. Here's what the artist had to say about it...

"These works place Fairy Tale characters in modern day scenarios. In all of the images the Princess is placed in an environment that articulates her conflict. The '...happily ever after' is replaced with a realistic outcome and addresses current issues.

The project was inspired by my observation of three-year-old girls, who were developing an interest in Disney's Fairy tales. As a new mother I have been able to get a close up look at the phenomenon of young girls fascinated with Princesses and their desire to dress up like them. The Disney versions almost always have sad beginning, with an overbearing female villain, and the end is predictably a happy one. The Prince usually saves the day and makes the victimized young beauty into a Princess.

As a young girl, growing up abroad, I was not exposed to Fairy tales. These new discoveries lead to my fascination with the origins of Fairy tales. I explored the original brothers Grimm's stories and found that they have very dark and sometimes gruesome aspects, many of which were changed by Disney. I began to imagine Disney's perfect Princesses juxtaposed with real issues that were affecting women around me, such as illness, addiction and self-image issues."

So what do you think? Did you recognize each princess? Do you have a favorite photo? What are your feelings about the whole thing?

Me? I guess life really can be a fairy tale...

(hey guys, i'd really love to hear your opinions. you don't have to have a blog or a gmail account to leave a comment. you can just post with your name if you want by clicking "open id" and then typing in your name and comment.)

the post you might wish you didn't read

2009-06-12T15:07:00.005-06:00

(warning in the title. mention of bodily fluids.)

So those of you who have followed my blog for awhile (hi mom) know that I've had some issues with some local Ecuadorian parasite friends. I even had a poll on my blog asking all of you what I should do about this painful and annoying problem.

I had previously come to the conclusion that I would just deal with the annoying little symptoms that my friends Pepito, Juan, and Enrique were causing in my intestines for the five months that we would be living here, and then take some strong pills when I get home and kill them all at once (sorry guys). No use taking the pills twice or even three times when the new friends came along.

Well I caved about a month ago due to an especially painful symptom (which I won't go into here, you're welcome) and went to the pharmacy to ask for some parasite-killing pills. The nice pharmacist gave me something and I took it and... not much changed. Maybe the pills took out Juan, but he wasn't the painful one anyway.

A couple of weeks went by and the symptoms still hung around, but were manageable. Even last week I thought to myself, "I can handle this. Maybe I don't even really have a parasite. I don't need to get tested (poo in a cup) to see which types of friends I really have. I'll just wait until I get home and take some strong pills, and goodbye friends."

Then the horrible, painful, awful, unbearable symptom came back! No! I must have gained a new friend, Guadalupe. And she's even more painful than the rest! I couldn't take it anymore.

The problem was that now I didn't trust the pharmacy to just give me something that would kill all of my friends. So the past couple of days I have sat and cringed from the pain and Jonathan has been trying to convince me to go ask the pharmacist where I can go to poo in a cup. I told him I was too embarrassed and that he should pretend like it's him with the problem and to go ask and I'll wait at home. He agreed that he'd do it but then I felt dumb. Be brave, Amanda!

So after spending the morning in pain, I remembered that just down the street from our apartment there's a doctor's office. I would just go ask them where I can go to get tested. When I arrived at the doctor's office, I realized that the sign says that they do... poop analysis there! So I rang the bell. The doctor came and opened the door for me. When I told him about my little problem, he suggested that instead of a poop analysis, I just come in for an exam. In my desperation to feel better, I agreed.

Luckily, all he wanted to do was listen to my stomach with his stethescope. The first words out of his mouth were, "Mucho gas!" (er...) And then, "Ay, muchos parásitos! Ay, pero bastantes! Ay, síííííí."

I didn't know that one could hear parasites, but I'll trust him because I sure feel like crap. He seemed to think that I'm hosting a lot more friends than just Enrique, Pepito, and Guadalupe. Aahhhh, validation.

He gave me some strong pills that apparently kill any kind of parasite you could ever find in Ecuador, charged me 15 bucks, and sent me on my way.

So I guess what I'm saying is, Pepito? Enrique? Guadalupe? All you other pesky guests? Prepare to DIE!

now i'm off to teach the relief society how to sing. if that doesn't kill a parasite or two...

more adventures with mormons in latin america

2009-06-09T10:00:00.001-06:00

I think I'm onto a series here. The LDS church is way more exciting in Latin America. I love this culture.

Even though we've lived here three months now, we still haven't figured out everyone's names in our little branch. I was sitting next to Jonathan in Preisthood/Relief Society on Sunday, trying not get too distracted by the trail of ants crawling out of an old lady's purse on the row in front of us. I noticed that Jonathan seemed to be taking notes. I looked at his notebook:

Brother Colostomy Bag (yeah, he showed it to us)

Brother "de igual forma" (a frase he uses as least 100 times in every lesson)

Brother Ponytail

Elder Mexico (missionary from Mexico... creative)

Elder Braid (missionary that's allowed to keep his hair long because his culture is so awesome)

Sister Teenager with twins

Sister Cries-at-the-drop-of-a-hat

Sister Sounds-like-Alvin(andthechipmunks)-when-she-sings
etc.

Sounds really rude, huh? Well it is pretty rude I guess, but how else are we supposed to refer to them if we can't figure out their names? Granted, we have figured out a lot of their names, but those nicknames just stick.

Later on, during Sunday school, the lesson turned to a discussion about home teaching. Brother Ponytail raised his hand and said that Brother Colostomy Bag hadn't been to visit him in over five weeks. Brother Colostomy Bag turned to look at him, a little disgruntled, and said with his booming voice that Brother Teaches-Every-Class hasn't been to see him in over 5 years!

You see? Things like this just never happen in the Valley View 8th Ward.

Later still, in Sacrament Meeting, a little girl came and started pounding on the upper keys of the piano while I was playing the sacrament hymn. Then she started pushing on my fingers and talking to me. It sounded really beautiful. A couple verses later, after my futile attempts to tell her to stop, her mom finally came over to take her back to their seat. Man! That was the third time that's happened. Usually Jonathan comes up to get the little girl when she does that, but this time he was on the stand getting the sacrament ready. It's a good thing she's cute.

There's more! We just have the best time at church. Last Sunday, Jonathan was called to be the Young Men's president in our ward. So in Sacrament meeting, as they presented him for approval of the congregation, the Branch President said, "We'd like to present Jonathan Amand Grace as...." Jonathan Amand Grace? haha.... Well I'll help, I guess, if you want me too...

Just this past Sunday, Sister Has-the-cutest-baby-in-the-world was giving the lesson in Relief Society. It was about loving communication in the home. Patience, kindness, and what not. Her 4-year-old son came barging into the room in the middle of the lesson and went directly up to his mom and asked, "Mamá, ¿Qué significa SIÉNTATE!!!!!?" (Translation: Mom, What does "SIT DOWN!!!" mean?)

She said something to him in Quichua (native language). He replied with, "OOOOoooohhhh."

Hilarious. I wonder if his primary teachers know he's not understanding half of what they say to him. He came in another four times to ask her questions while she was teaching. Good thing she was teaching a lesson about patience.

In Sacrament meeting, it was announced that church next week will only be one hour. This is the second time since we've been here they've done this. The first time was so people could vote. I wonder what it is this time...

Reggaeton

2009-06-04T12:30:00.002-06:00

Last week Jonathan and I decided to break up the work week and hit up a much-publicized concert to be held at the local bull ring. Lenin, who we work with, and Johnny, who goes to our church, both assured us that the concert would be "cheverisimo!" We asked what type of music would be played and were told it would be Reggaeton. We both immediately assumed "Reggaeton" was "Reggae" in Spanish and thus were easily convinced of how great this concert would be. We're both fans of the smooth, chill tunes of Bob Marley and Ub40, so we wanted to see what Ecuador would have to offer in this genre.

Upon arrival to the packed bull ring full of screaming adolescents, we became a little unsure of our assumption that "Reggaeton" really meant "Reggae."

When a gangsta wannabe wearing a huge, white, furry coat entered the stage with his silver-sequined dancers, we were... quite sure we had been expecting the wrong genre.

Does this look like Reggae to you? ....Didn't sound like Reggae either.

Turns out Reggaeton is an English word too. It's basically urban, hip-hop, R&B, electronica; to us, a far cry from that Jamaican music we know and love. However, we didn't let a little genre mix-up mess up our night. It was fun to just blend in with everyone and enjoy the show. Thanks to Carlos letting us borrow the Ascend camera for the night, I have some pictures to show you!

Since a lot of the songs actually sounded the same, I lost interest at times and attempted to entertain myself with self portraits. Usually what happens with Jonathan and I and self-portraits goes like this:

I hold out the camera in front of us and nudge Jonathan so he'll get ready for the picture.

I take the picture.

We look at the picture. I am smiling, he is inevitably making some weird/funny/scary face.

We laugh.

I hold out the camera and take another picture.

We look at the picture. Jonathan is smiling. I am making a weird/funny/scary face.

We laugh.

We rarely ever are both making weird faces or both making normal happy faces. This night was no exception.

Oh, and notice that girl above my right shoulder. When I am deaf in 5 years, it will be 80% her fault (the culprits of the other 20% are the girls who stood behind me at the Jimmy Eat World Concert last year).

The Original

2009-06-03T18:56:00.002-06:00

Good job to those deduced the truth (see below post). This picture was taken in Moab before Jonathan and I were even engaged. It was NOT taken in Ecuador after being involved in a street fight. Jonathan taught me some photoshop basics and I've been experimenting and reading internet tutorials. Soon I'll be a pro!

Oh and yes, Michelle, I did get punched by a crazy man in a bus station in Spain. Luckily, nothing like that has happened here yet.

Was I involved in a protest turned street fight in the streets of Riobamba?

2009-06-03T08:59:00.007-06:00

Or am I learning some awesome Photoshop skills?

Click photo to zoom in.

Coming Soon: More adventures in the LDS Los Alamos branch.

The Park City 5

2009-05-28T08:10:00.006-06:00

As some of you know, the organization that Jonathan and I are interning for here in Ecuador is planning an expedition. In July, about 40 people from Park City will be coming here to make a big difference in two of the indigenous communities that we've had the joy of working with for the past 3 months.

I just ran across a story on KSL about the families from Park City that will be coming to Riobamba for the expedition. They're a special group in that they are families who have recently lost children in tragic accidents. This service that they will be giving to others is their way of memorializing their children. Check out the video from KSL's website.

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

I want to note, although it's not mentioned in the video, these people are coming to Ecuador through Ascend: A Humanitarian Alliance. Ascend is a Salt Lake City based humanitarian organization that works with the poorest people in Africa and Latin America. As one of their Ecuador interns, I have seen so much good come from projects that we organize.

I really have to admire these families for doing something so good after having such sad things happen to them. Their work will have a huge impact on two very poor communities.

As the video says, they are holding a couple events to raise money for the projects that we'll be doing in the communities. There is a 5K race this Saturday and a golf tournament on June 8th. If any of you are in a place to donate or participate in these events, you would be helping poor families in Ecuador and bringing happiness to these grieving families. See their website HERE for more information about making donations or participating in the fundraising events.

To see the KSL story on their website, click HERE.

(people, I have been blogging up a storm lately! don't miss my other posts from this week.)

sociocultural globalization

2009-05-27T13:23:00.011-06:00

I've spent the morning creating Excel Spreadsheets containing basic medical records of the children in the communities where we do medical campaigns. The communities we work with are made up of indigenous people and are deep in the Andes, far away from the cities. Seriously, far. Buses don't go out there. We have to drive up to three hours on bumpy, windy, treacherous dirt roads to reach some of the communities. Many have no running water. Most of the women my age and older don't speak Spanish because they weren't allowed to go to school as children. Everyone speaks the native language, Quichua. These days most men and almost all of the children in grade school can speak Spanish.

Sometimes when we're working in one of these communities, with people who look like this,

and landcapes that look like this,

I feel like I couldn't get any farther from home. Everything is just so foreign to me. The way they dress, what they eat, what their lives consist of day to day, their aspirated and glottalized language, and the way they say SHHHOOOnathan (jonathan) and aMAUta (amanda).

Then one day, while working in a secluded community, I met a little girl named Jenny and a little boy named Jefferson.

hmmmm.... Now I've never met a Spanish-speaking person named Jenny, let alone Jefferson (as in... Thomas Jefferson? Third president of the United States?). They're all Marias and Carloses and Juans and Adrianas and Agustins. (I'm only slightly exaggerating about that.) So to meet a child whose mother probably only speaks Quichua have that name, surprised me. I was amazed and a little curious. I thought that this must just be an interesting anomaly.

"Wow, what a crazy coincidence meeting a Jenny and a Jefferson in the same day in a little village that couldn't be culturally farther from North America," I thought to myself. "Maybe Jefferson's parents are... American history buffs? Maybe a nice Canadian girl named Jenny randomly came to their village and they liked her so much that they named their daughter after her. How nice." And that was that.

Today, typing around a hundred children's names into the spreadsheets, I realized that Jenny and Jefferson are most certainly not anomalies.

It seems that the majority of young children in these seemingly isolated and far-flung communities carry at least one name that definitely isn't common to their culture nor geographical area. Here are some of my favorites:

Note: these children were all born in 2003 and later. They're six-years-old and younger.)

Anderson Carguachi can't argue that one's not from English.

Nancy Beatriz Lasso Altamirano lots of Nancys

Lizbeth Yungan Criollo tons of Lizbeths

Bridget Veronica Guzñay Huishca

Lizbeth Estefania Guzñay Huishca Stephanie...

Jessica Karina Daquilema Cuñas

Lisbeth Maritza Cuñas Marcatoma

Emily Mishel Guaraca Lasso

Widinson Guillermo Guaraca Marcatoma I'm pretty sure they were trying for an English name... WidinSON.

Byron Adrian Cuñas Guaraca

Jessica Erlinda Daquilema Altamirano

Janeth Paulina Simbaña Marcatoma Janet?

Jenny Maritza Guaraca Simbaña

Roxana Margot Pataron Cuñas

Mayra Elizabeth Guaraca Cuñas

German Oswaldo Condo Lasso the word "German" in Spanish is "alemán"

Norma Janeth Marcatoma Daquilema

Angel Yeferson Marcatoma Lema "Jefferson" with their pronunciation of "j"

Edison Javier Marcatoma Lema

Wilian Israel Pataron Guaraca close, close

Miryan Gladis Yumiceba Marcatoma pretty sure no 4-year-old in the U.S. has this name...

Yessica Estefania Chuquimarca Quingue again with the "j" to "y"

Jefferson Eduardo Marcatoma Condo

Mayra Elizabeth Daquilema Cuñas

Yhoselyn Viviana Daquilema Altamirano I think Jocelyn is of French origin. cool.

Yhon Javier Lema Daquilema John? I guess "Juan" got a little common or boring?

Jhonn Alexander Paltan Daquilema They like putting the "h" before the "o." Jonathan gets "Jhon" a lot

Yeferson Patricio Caguana Simbaña another

Vilma Susana Daquilema Criollo again... I'm pretty sure if your name's Wilma in the U.S., you're 80.

Nancy Maribel Caguana Chuquimarca

Miryan Susana Marcatoma Guaraca

Jhonn G. Quingue Chuquimarca

Franklin W. Guacho Lema

Evelyn Cuji Chuquimarca

Erika Susana Daquilema Caguano

Two more Edisons

Anderson Marcatoma

Bayron David Evas

Darwin Simbaña

Fany Belgica Marcatoma Evas my personal favorite

Fany Huishca

Gladys Malan Simbaña

Jaqueline Capito Simbaña I wonder how they pronounce this one.

Mirian Huishca Criolla

Myrian Lizbeth Guacho Roldan

Yeferson Malan

Yessica Guacho Marcatoma

and last, but not least, my personal favorite (and maybe deserving of its own post),

Jesus Stalin Cuñas Daquilema

(and I'm not kidding)

So, what do you think? Isn't this a fun mystery? I've been brainstorming a little bit about how these names could have infiltrated this indigenous culture.
.

First of all, I am not exaggerating when I say that every single adult indigenous woman I've ever met has been either María or Rosa. It seems probable that these women are sick of common names. And with all the Marcatoma Guaraca Chuquimarca last names* going around, they are probably feeling that now's the time to bring in some new names. I'm just still stumped about how they heard about Gladys, Fanny, and Wilma. What significance does Jefferson have to them? Do they just like how it sounds? Jessica and Jenny are popular in the English-speaking world, but these people don't have much interaction with English-speakers. With all the little Edisons running around, I wonder if their moms are just that grateful for the lightbulb? Why did Elizabeth turn into Lizbeth in so many cases? And Jesus Stalin? I'm sorry, but WTF?!
.

While having so many Yessicas and Jennys and Yhonns running around makes me feel just a tiny bit closer to home, I can't help but just be intrigued as to how this happened. I need your thoughts and expertise, people. Help me solve this mystery! Oh, and let me know which is your favorite.

Thanks,
aMAUta

*Most people in Spanish-speaking countries are given four names. If a woman gets married, she takes a fifth. It goes: "first name" + "middle name" + "father's paternal surname" + "mother's paternal surname." If the woman gets married, you add + "de 'husband's paternal surname.'" So my name, in the Spanish world would be Amanda Marie Chamberlain Polatis de(of) Gracey. How's that for a mouthful? Oh and even though I'm married, I'd still be Señora (Mrs.) Chamberlain. No name change.

priceless photos

2009-05-26T17:40:00.011-06:00

I just can't get over how cute my little niece, Madeline, is. See, I've been married almost 3 months and so far have managed not to get knocked-up. Since Jonathan and I are spending all of our money living in Ecuador as unpaid interns, it would probably be a little stressful to have a baby on the way. By the time we get home we'll have very little (or no) money, no place to live, no jobs, and no health insurance. However, little Maddie just makes it so hard not to throw caution into the wind.

Yesterday I saw a sequence of photos on my sister-in-law's (hi Kristine!) facebook that I had to steal and share with you all.

I think this has to be one of the best pictures I've ever seen.* The picture that comes next makes it even better.

left to right: Spike, Bella, my niece Madeline (of the Joseph and Jane Gracey clan), and Boston (of the Sam and Rachelle Gracey clan)

Looks like she decided to go for it.

See what I mean about the overwhelming cuteness?

Well if it's not the right time for a baby yet, I'm definitely going to need a dog.

This is the kind I want really really really really badly...

The breed is Mastiff. Can you honestly say these are not the cutest, most awesome-looking dogs you've ever seen? They're, um, the largest and heaviest breed of dog there is. I won't go into their awesome temperament (how cuddly and attached and non-vicious and loyal they are) and all that, but I want one. Real bad. I'll just have to make sure it doesn't sit on anyone...

*below: possibly the best picture I've ever seen (thanks again to Kristine's facebook).

brother-in-law james and little maddie. there's just so much that's completely perfect about this picture. i love my in-laws...

memorial day

2009-05-25T09:03:00.002-06:00

guess whose birthday it is...

2009-05-22T18:10:00.005-06:00

happy . fun . generous . goal-setter . inspiring . kind . musical . family man . hard worker . go-getter . triathloner . runner . healthy . homework helper . good ideas . motivator . marshmallow . great to talk to . swimmer . friendly . intellectual . songwriter . camper . awesome . supportive . optimistic . good advice . Sunday talks . wedding singer . service . cinnamon bears . "Puffer Paul" . day-old doughnuts . honest . sweet-tooth . family vacation goer . good teacher . welcoming . adventurous . playhouse builder . patient . ssss-ssss-ssss laugher . handy man . meat carver . smart . wise . businessman . coach . blindingly white legs . loving . sacrificing . spiritual . landscaper . remodeler . horsey ride-giver . snowman-builder . easygoing . Dad

Dad and Mom, Halloween 2006

Dad, Josh, and Ben in Costa Rica, August 2008

Carving the... Turkey? Thanksgiving 2007

Dad, Josh, and me on the zip line in Costa Rica, August 2008

Ben, me, Dad, and Emily. Yellowstone trip, Summer 2006

I love you so much, Dad. Thanks for helping me move way too many times. Thanks for singing to me and Jonathan and Em and Alex at our weddings. Thanks for teaching me about service and the importance of helping those in need. Thanks for the awesome family you and Mom have created. Thanks for giving me such a horrible, wonderful sweet tooth. Thanks for spending so much of your time and energy with us, your family. Thanks for loving me no matter when, no matter what. Thanks for being so nice and welcoming to my friends (who all love you). Thanks for teaching me SO MUCH just through your example. Thanks for staying out past dark building igloos and snowmen with me and Em. Thanks for keeping yourself healthy and strong. Thanks for all the fun family trips and for teaching me to love camping and the outdoors. Thanks for changing my flat tire last year and teaching me how to do it (but I forgot). Thanks for always being on the sidelines, on the pool deck, in the bleachers, and in the audience.

There's so much more I could say! I wish I could be with you for your birthday. I'm sure I missed some things so anyone feel free to tell my dad what's awesome about him in the comments. There's just so much! Love you, Dad!

no day at the beach...

2009-05-21T12:14:00.004-06:00

Yikes. The past few days have been a little rough.

Stress
Anxiety
Worry
Exhaustion
Pain

Two nights ago Jonathan started having some pretty severe chest pain and pressure (on the left side) to the point where he couldn't sleep. It got so bad (and I got so worried) that we finally went to the emergency room of a nearby hospital at 4 am. The doctor didn't seem to think it was a problem with his heart. He just gave him a shot for the pain and prescribed a couple pain meds. The pain meds didn't work too well and he was still in constant pain all day yesterday. I went to the church last night during Noche de Hogar and got the missionaries and another man in the ward to come give him a blessing. Later last night we were able to Skype with my parents' neighbor who is some sort of heart doctor. He didn't seem to think the pain was from a heart problem either but said it sounds like Jonathan has pleurisy.

Pleurisy is a painful inflammation/infection between the lungs and the rib cage. The doctor Skype-prescribed some good old ibuprofen to reduce the inflammation. Jonathan feels a little better today and we're hoping that his pain will go away completely soon. I am so relieved and I'm ready to finally get some good sleep.

When Jonathan's brother James heard the good news that Jonathan's heart is okay and that he's feeling better, he sent me an email. I thought you all might enjoy it as much as I did...

"I am glad Jonathan is okay, it is a relief off my shoulders because I think he chest hurt because of me. About 10 years ago I remember putting some hot tamales in his oatmeal and he ate them all in one gulp!!!!!
I am so glad he is okay."

Me too!

Other news of interest to anyone who may be missing us (because we are missing all of you so much): Today, Thursday the 21st of May, is our HUMPDAY*! So it's all downhill from here**. We sure will miss Ecuador when we have to leave, but after a couple hard days, I really just miss Home. That feeling comes and goes. Maybe we'll just have to take another trip to the beach.

* No, Josh. No.
**I hate it when bands put common phrases into their songs and then when you say or write that common phrase you can't get the song out of your head. Hey JamesMc, remember when I liked New Found Glory? Remember how you hated my shirt in high school?

Freckles. And sand in "places."

2009-05-12T19:26:00.007-06:00

Well I have a bit of catching up to do here. I had a birthday, my brother had a birthday, my mom had a Mother's Day, and Jonathan and I took a vacation all in the past 3 days.

First of all, I would like to say thanks to Josh for being born on May 10th, the day before my birthday. It's nice to be able to share parties and not have to be the center of attention. I really love sharing my birthday season with Josh. Second, Josh, I think it's really rude that you're 15 now. That just seems too old. Can't you go back to being the cute little 4-year-old that said big words? Like when I was 12 and was giving you a bath and I started draining the water and you said/screamed, "Amanda! Amanda! Look! The bath water is diminishing! It's DIMINISHING!" I had to go look it up in the dictionary.

Well now instead of being that cute little boy you are a cute big boy. And girls have crushes on you. And you will be in high school this fall. And you are going to start driving lessons. And it's all just really really rude.

Josh droppin' it like it's hot.

Also on May 10th was Mother's Day! I was bummed that I missed out being with my wonderful mom. The older I get, the more I realize how great she is. She has always made big sacrifices for all of her children and we are so grateful. She's fun, she's generous, she's understanding, she's helpful, she writes good notes when you need them, she was patient and supportive during the rough times, and she's happy and supportive now that those times are over. Love you, Mom!

Me, Mom, and Em at Em's night-before-the-wedding dinner. Hours later Jonathan and I would kiss for the first time. Aw. Tender.

My birthday was yesterday. Yep, the big 2-3. I think this is around the age when you start not caring to get any older. No more getting excited about the age milestones. Well, except maybe 25, when I can rent a car more easily and get my insurance rates lowered. Oh and 65, when I get senior discounts at the movie theater and Sizzler.

I told Jonathan all I wanted for my birthday was cereal, Nutella, Tropifruttis, KinderBuenos, and a trip to the beach. I'm a simple girl, you see. He came through with my wishes. So on Saturday at 2 am we left Riobamba by bus to eventually arrive in Montañita around 11:30 am.

Basically it was wonderful 3-day weekend filled with hangin' out in swimsuits, bare feet, swimming, big waves, no stingrays or jellyfish, long walks on the beach, salty air, warm humidity, amazing sunsets, childhood memories of California, gathering sea shells, drinking fresh fruit juice, eating ceviche, crepes, watching the surfers, sand everywhere, body boarding, getting thrashed by the huge waves and loving it, sleeping under an umbrella on the sand, going to sleep and waking up to the sound of the ocean outside our open window, sleeping on a bed with no crack in the middle, playing cards on the bed with Jonathan until late and then sleeping in, meeting a Colombian hippy who has lived everywhere and who sold me some earrings, spilled beer on my feet, and spoke Portuguese with Jonathan, watching the sea spray through the reef, and never wanting to leave. For me, it was the best birthday present I could possibly get. I'm in love with the ocean and I loved every second of being there with Jonathan. It was almost a perfect weekend.

Before I show you the pictures, I'm going to have to explain that some unfortunate events did take place during our lovely beach weekend. Apart from sunburns and a mosquito bites (I have 15 below my knees), I accidentally left my camera in the common room of the hostel and someone stole it along with my favorite sweatshirt. Also, my flip flops got stolen off the beach. So now we are in the middle of our wonderful adventure without a camera (our second one to get stolen here! Grrrrr!). It's a pretty big bummer. We had some good sunset pictures and a cute picture of us, but you will all have to make do with these google image search pictures that I will pretend are mine...

This is Montañita. aahhhhh. (it really is Montañita.)

This is our hostel. (Actually ours was across the road from this building but this was the closest photo I could find. It looked pretty much the same.) This time we got a private room and bathroom. 20 bucks a night for us both including breakfast and a cocktail. Woo! You know how we love our cocktails.

This is Montañita's main street, wonderfully paved with sand. No one wears shoes. It's just what happens when a poor fishing village meets epic surfing and the hippies move in. I, personally, am a fan.

This is me/Jonathan bodyboarding on my birthday! (Okay maybe we never caught a wave quite that big, but we got some good ones and it was great fun.)

Here we are walking down the beach as the sun goes down on Sunday. (Picture my hair a little longer.)

So all in all, we had a blast and we hope to do it again before we leave. Thanks to Mom and Dad and Grandpa and Grandma for the birthday money that made this little trip possible. I really, really appreciate it! I may not have pictures to remind me of the trip, but my itching mosquito bites, continually finding sand in new places, our freshly freckled faces, and burned shoulders should keep it on the mind for awhile.

tip the maid

2009-05-08T20:51:00.004-06:00

Today was a day that some nights I truly believed would never come. A day that I've dreamt about numerous times after drifting off while studying for a midterm. Today I put on a cap and gown, went to commencement exercises, and received my diploma from the University of Utah. Ah bliss...

Wait, no. I'm in Ecuador having a normal day at work while the rest of my graduating class walks. It's okay. I'll still get my diploma and everything. I thought I would care less about graduation day and walking and the cap and gown, but I'm actually a little sad not to be involved with the festivities. Plus I won't have pictures of myself in a cap and gown to prove to my children that I really did make it through college. Oh yeah. The diploma. Okay, I'm good.

So now what? That's the big question, right? I have a B.A. in Political Science and Spanish and a minor in Latin American Studies. Someone please tell me what I'm supposed to do now! I've heard the "go to law school" suggestion a billion times. No, thank you. Three years of memorizing stuff out of big books and writing long papers does not sound worth the reward. Practicing law. blugh. No offense to all you law school grads. I admire your knowledge and skills. I just don't envy them.

Getting a Master's Degree has always appealed to me. I kind of always thought in the back of my mind that I would like to get a Master's Degree in something. A few months ago I was seriously considering what I would like to study on a higher level. Education? Immigration Studies?Language Interpretation?

Well let me tell you a little secret. What I'd really like to study right now I would be much better off learning from family, friends. and the internet than from a professor. Here are some things I really want to learn at this point in life. I don't know where it all came from, but here you have it.

-I want to learn to sew so badly. I made a quilt for Jonathan for his birthday in January (with a bunch of help from my mom). He loves it. I thought it was fun. My mom, my mother-in-law, and both grandmothers are all talented seamstresses. One of my great-grandmothers made quilts to sell. Another great-grandma made all kinds of clothes for herself and her children. It's just in my blood and I'm itching to learn.

-I'd love to be a great photographer. I think photos can be so inspiring and I'd like to learn how to take better ones.

-I'm also feeling strong desires to learn web design, coding, etc. I'd love to be able to create a website from scratch. Jonathan would be a big help to me learning this and then maybe we can actually make some money from it.

-When I was single, I didn't feel the need to cook too much. Cereal, bread, and leftover Jasmine food are fine with me, thanks. Now that I'm married, I love cooking for Jonathan. I get so much satisfaction enjoying a meal with him that I made. He's always so happy and appreciative when I cook something for him. This has motivated me to want to learn to be a better cook. Maybe even a really good cook. I know plenty of great cooks, so tips and recipes shouldn't be hard to come by.

-Sort of in the cooking realm... I want to learn how to can fruits, veggies, and jams. Canning?! Seriously? It just seems so practical. I must be turning into an old lady.

- Another random thing I want to learn. Furniture restoration. I know, it sounds weird, but I am so fascinated and inspired by some "before and after" projects I've seen on crappy old chairs, coffee tables, headboards, etc. It seems like it would be so satisfying to bring some beauty into an old, ugly piece of furniture. I tried to reupholster my dad's old wing back chair in the weeks leading up to my wedding. I succeeded in ripping off most of the fabric... and nothing more. Sorry dad. I'll finish it when I get home!

Now that I'm done with my Bachelor's Degrees I can finally focus on what I really want to learn. Is that sad? Anyone know if any Universities offer a Master's Degree in Canning/Re-upholstery/Web Design/homemaking? ...didn't think so.

I have to ask. Mom and Dad, I know you haven't heard all of this from me. Are you surprised? Do people normally wish for a sewing machine, a better oven, and a good camera after graduating from college?

Realistically speaking, I do need to have something in mind for when Jonathan and I get back to the real world in August. He'll go back to his school that charges an arm and a leg. Thus I hope to find a good job where I can be happy doing whatever I'm doing. My dream job would be to work with a humanitarian NGO like the one we're interning for right now. However, I would consider almost anything else... as long as it doesn't involve filing papers and making copies all day. I need something that makes me think.

As for my opinions about what I learned in college (because I know everyone's dying to know), I will just say that I'm glad I speak Spanish. I love Latin America, it's history, culture, and it's people. I'm grateful for the knowledge I have in the political arena but I will never (ever ever ever) attempt to hold a public office. Maybe I'll expound on that at a later date.

Anyway, the many, many all-nighters, papers, note-taking, flashcards, parking tickets, power-point presentations, puking during finals, and study groups have finally (FINALLY) come to an end. I made it. I'm so glad.

I'm going to end this rambling post and leave you with the profound last sentence of the commencement remarks made by David McCullough at my graduation today (which I read online).

"And wherever you go in your travels to come, and I'm sure you will go far, before checking out of a hotel or motel, be sure to tip the maid."

just when I thought my spanish was getting so good

2009-05-03T20:12:00.006-06:00

Today at church I was sitting in elders quorum with Jonathan. Yes, elders quorum. The LDS church is really changing things up in South America. Or maybe it's just that I'm usually the only female on time to church in our branch. I've been to relief society one time in the two months that we've lived here. Anyway, Jonathan and I were chatting quietly as the branch president was about to get the class going. He (the branch pres.) looked over at me with the hymn book in his hand and said something and smiled. I guess I wasn't paying enough attention because I don't know what he said. Since we were about to start singing the opening hymn and he was looking at me, I figured he probably wanted me to lead it. So I got up, counted to 3, and started singing and leading. After we all sang the last verse I was about to go sit down when the branch president turned to me and asked me if I would now say the prayer. So I did and then sat down.

Jonathan then informed me that I was never asked to lead the hymn, but to pray. Oops. That must have been pretty funny for everyone...

Branch Pres: Amanda, will you say the opening prayer for us?
Me: (smile, stand up, and lead the whole hymn)

I'll be honest. I REALLY miss Utah church. Not that the church is more true in Utah... it's just that all my peeps live in Utah. Yes, my peeps.

Wanna hear something else that happened at church today? The Sunday School Pres. asked me if I am expecting a baby.

....uuhhhh...... I thought you were never supposed to ask that question unless you were SURE! Don't they KNOW that here?! I just don't get it. Maybe I need to never wear that dress again. I was pretty sure that my stomach is not among my chubby parts. I thought it looked nice and flat in that dress. AND I've been doing crunches and bicycles and really annoying things like that. I guess I really have some sucking in to do. And no, I'm NOT pregnant. ...deep breaths.....

After church today I was settling into bed for some Harry Potter reading and maybe a nap when Jonathan proceeded to scare me so bad that I screamed out loud, almost had a heart attack, and cried from the shock of it all. He felt pretty bad since he wasn't even trying to scare me in the first place. I know if I explain the story, everyone will make fun of me because it wasn't even that scary. But obviously it made an impression.

Okay, basically what happened is that the bedroom door was open a crack and I heard music coming from the front room so I assumed he was in there. Then all of the sudden there was a creepy rapist voice saying/whispering, "hey manda, heeey maandaaaa, hey hey maanda..." I don't know why my subconscious brain didn't figure out real fast that it was Jonathan, but I looked over and there was an eye peeking in the door and I freaked. That's all. Maybe a year taken off my life from the stress and shock on my heart.

Love you, babe.

Hmmm...Random thoughts from the past week (lists are the easiest):

-Haribo Tropifruttis are so delicious. When it comes to gummy candies, texture is everything. With Tropifruttis, I think Haribo hit it right on. Thanks Haribo!

-Jonathan claims to like my cooking. That is such an unexpected and pleasant surprise.

-My blisters from walking around all day in high heels (a.k.a. DEVIL SHOES) selling publicity for our magazine are starting to heal.

-Thursday morning for our employee bonding day we went to an awesome park and played ultimate frisbee and basketball. It was soooo fun.

-We got new FAST internet!!!!

-We have been living in Ecuador for two whole months. Weird!

-My parasite symptoms are back with a vengeance. I was reading about parasites online and got so grossed out that I think I am finally motivated to take care of mine. I hope they're not the earthworm-looking ones. urgle.

-Yesterday I felt very uncharacteristically cultured and refined. It was a rainy afternoon and Jonathan and I were sitting in the main room of our apartment. I was reading articles on the relationship between poverty and happiness for my research paper while Jonathan sketched the mountain view out of our window. Schubert piano quintets were playing in the background. Yeah, I'm serious.

-Jonathan and I would be much less happy people without the invention of cheese.

-It was Adriana's turn to give the random presentation in our team meeting this week. She gave it on HIV-AIDS. It was a powerpoint presentation filled with graphic animations demonstrating how to properly use a condom. She also told me and Jonathan and Carlos that since we are all sexually active that we won't get HIV as long as we're faithful to our spouses. Thanks...

-I got to talk to tons of family today on Skype. Woooo! Happy Birthday, Grandma!!! The big 6-9!!

-My awesome aunt is looking for a new roommate. I used to live with her and it was great. She's renting out a big private basement bedroom with a private NEW bathroom. She has a ping-pong table, washer and dryer, a big yard, she's fun, athletic, a good cook, etc. She's looking for a non-annoying, non-crazy girl to live with. Let me know if you know anyone!

-If you're looking for a part-time afternoon job in Salt Lake, I know of a company looking to hire a new receptionist. I used to work there. It involves a big bowl of candy on your desk and some taming the zoo of men that work there... along with answering phones, filing stuff, making copies. typing up sales orders, etc. Basically they need a Pam. Let me know if you're interested!

Okay, that's enough. I'll leave you with these pictures that make me laugh...

Face-first down the rickety slide. I love it.

One of these things is not like the other...

I don't know why it's funny to me. It just is.

Sometimes you can take a picture of Jonathan and zoom in on his face...

and it will look like this. Love him.

what?*

2009-04-27T17:28:00.003-06:00

*I think Cathy and Laura might be the only ones who know the correct tone to use when saying the title of this post.

You know those kind of days that start out just fine but by the end you want to scream and pull your hair (and other people's hair) and throw things?

Mom, I know you know those days... I remember in the summers of my younger years when Emily and I would fight over which chores we had to do, who got to choose the tv show, who got to practice the piano first (to get it over with), and on and on. Josh might have been in his colicky (perma-cry) baby stage in some instances. We knew you'd had enough when in the midst of our screams and hair-pulling and scratching we saw you go into your room, grab a pillow off of your bed, and have a good long scream to yourself. Then, being the awesome mom you were and are, we'd go to the gas station, get you a big mug of diet coke, and then you'd take us kids to the park or the pool to run out our energy and buy yourself some sanity. I'm sorry, Mom. When I have little screaming banshees of my own one day, I will be happy to let you relish in the payback. I'm getting off topic.

Back to those days (the one's that make your mom scream into a pillow). I just want to say that today has been one of those days. It may or may not have involved me throwing Jonathan's flash drive and screaming down my shirt (no pillows around). Plus it's 7 pm and I'm still working. I don't want to go into every detail of every joy but here are a few I've been lucky to have:

my Excel document that details all of the office expenditures in great detail for the month of April is gone. Nowhere to be found on my computer.
tomorrow we have to walk around the city trying to sell ad space in the magazine we're making to local businesses . There's nothing I hate more than selling. People don't take the tall, blondish girl seriously around here anyway.
Adriana told me I have to wear high heels tomorrow (walking around the city) so that I look professional.
High heels are called "tacos" here which reminds me that I can't make tacos here because there is no chili powder anywhere. Sometimes you just want a taco.
I dropped the whole roll of toilet paper into the toilet I had just peed in.
The staff left the office (which is also our apartment) two hours later than they normally do. Be glad you don't live at your office. If you do, tips?
On her way out the door, Adriana asked me to print a file using one of the office printers for tomorrow morning. I just opened the file. 96 pages. Our printer is the kind you can only put a few blank pages in at a time or it jams. Any guesses on how many hours I'm going to be sitting here in front of the printer feeding it blank pages?
I was so busy filling out the paperwork to be able to pay our water guy that I forgot to actually pay him and wondered why he wouldn't leave when I gave him the receipt.
I peed my pants during a staff meeting.... Just kidding. That would have sucked too though, right?
I walked into the bathroom after everyone finally left the office and my bangs looked HORRIBLE. grease ball. There was also a big new zit on my chin. Big. Then I went to the bathroom and guess what? No toilet paper. Well there was, but it was sitting in the garbage can saturated with toilet water and pee.

So after a great day at work, and with such promising potential for another great day tomorrow, I will now attempt to work on my research paper while feeding paper into the printer.

Thanks for teaching me the pillow trick, Mom

cheese rhymes with cheese

2009-04-23T19:22:00.003-06:00

If I wanted to describe Ecuador in 3 words, I would say beautiful, energetic, and… inefficient.

After a weeklong outage, we finally got our internet up and running in the office/apartment. It’s still about as slow as the old dial-up we had when I was 13, but I’m just happy to have some sort of contact with home. I’ve had a lot of practice speaking Spanish over the phone with different internet companies this past week. Today I stayed in the office to be here for the tech guy to come FINALLY fix it. He called me niña (little girl) a bunch of times, which was weird, but at least he fixed the problem.

It seems to me that those of us raised in the U.S. consider efficiency an important goal in daily life. Maybe efficiency isn’t as strong of a paradigm for us United Statesians* as it is in Asian countries, where people are known to schedule themselves down to the minute, but it’s definitely a part of the culture I was raised in. Not here though. I’ve never been to a meeting that didn’t start at least an hour late. No one seems to mind. They just sit and chat until their bums get sore from sitting so they stand up and go somewhere to give their bums a rest and then when the late people finally arrive to the meeting, the people that were there earlier aren’t there anymore so then the late people wait awhile for the early people to come back and then it’s time for lunch and everyone leaves. To an Ecuadorian, perfectly fine. To me, a born and raised United Statesian, uuurrrgghhleeeeanfneiouw;b.

So thank you, Sallee at Ascend Alliance headquarters, for the two days of training we had before leaving. She made sure we understood that sometimes we’re going to have to remember that
“it’s not wrong, it’s just different.”

It’s not wrong, it’s just different.

It’s not wrong, it’s just different.

It’s not wrong, it’s just different.

Two young boys peeing on the sidewalk alongside their father during the local parade. It’s not wrong, it’s just different. Coming late to a meeting and putting it on hold so you can go around and personally say hello to and kiss each of the 20 people in the room. It’s not wrong, it’s just different. The prevalence of bologna. It’s not wrong, it’s just different. Closing your business whenever you feel like it. It’s not wrong, it’s just different. Driving around the city with your party’s election jingle blasting out of the megaphone on the top of your car. It’s not wrong, it’s just different. Nowhere to go to the bathroom. It’s not wrong, it’s just different. The old indigenous woman carrying twice her weight in firewood on her back while her husband walks alongside her empty-handed. It’s not wrong, it’s just different. Letting your 2-year-old finish off the last of your beer. It’s not wrong, it’s just different. Wait…..

Now I should say something happy and flowery about how awesome it is to get to know other cultures by living in them. Instead I will say that sometimes it is hard. However, I’m grateful for the differences in culture throughout the world. They make for good memories and funny stories.

In other news, I dreamed about Smith’s Marketplace last night. There were boneless skinless chicken breasts, string cheese, diet coke, taco seasoning, and tampons. Paradise.

Jonathan is currently eating a hot dog and cheese sandwich because I’m writing a blog post instead of making dinner. He has also been working on writing a song for the past week. He just came in to show me his most recent inspired lyrics:

I need some freakin’ cheese
I need some freakin’ cheese
Not just any kind of cheese
I want some fresh cheese
Oh fresh cheeeeese.

Who needs Flight of the Conchords when I have Jonathan? That’s right. Cheese rhymes with cheese.

Also, one of my good friends got married this past Saturday. Congratulations Donaven and Sarah! I was so sad to miss the festivities but I heard from my Mom that everything was beautiful and the reception was great.

In addition to that wedding, and the wedding of the future Mrs. Bliss in July, we will also miss another big wedding this summer. Jonathan’s friend from way back, Matt, and the beautiful Heather, will be tying the knot in June.

We will, however, make it to the fourth wedding of the summer – Sam’s wedding! He’ll be getting married to a darling girl named Kayla the weekend we get home from Ecuador. Woooo! I’m so excited for all of my friends’ marriages.

There’s a lot more I could say, but it’s time for Jonathan to teach me some more Capoeira exercises so I’ll just say that we’re pretty healthy and very happy and I’ll leave you with some of my favorite pictures from the past couple of weeks.

Here's a surprise I found on my camera I thought someone might enjoy.

I love this picture. These kids loved Jonathan.

Here's Jonathan teaching some 5th grade kids from a small community about dental care.

I am so used to the kids in the communities loving to get their pictures taken. Then this happened.

Some boys waiting to be seen by the dentist.

Playing in the back of the work truck. They made the alarm go off about 5 times, but look how cute.

Darling faces.

*United Statesians. Anyone got anything better?

It was fun (I asked Jonathan what the title should be and this is what he came up with) and stuff

2009-04-12T20:12:00.008-06:00

Let's keep this one short and sweet.

Jonathan and I had a wonderful weekend trip to Guayaquil, the biggest city in Ecuador. We were planning on going to the beach, but after listening to conference last weekend, we thought this might be more fulfilling.

The temple was beautiful...

The weather was HOT and HUMID. It was a wonderful change from the cool mountain air we live in. One of the ladies that worked in the temple literally held my hand the whole time in the dressing room. Jonathan got some dirty looks at the temple because of his shoes but we had to pack light and they wouldn't fit. I don't think God minded.

After the temple Friday night, we got some touristy sightseeing in. We walked the promenade that winds along Guayaquil's huge River Guayas. There were all kinds of cool little sculptures, architecture, and parks, and it was packed with happy people and ice cream stands.

Jonathan

Amanda

After the walk along the promenade, we climbed 465 steps through a neighborhood on a hill to see the view from the top of a lighthouse. This is what we saw...

Foot picture. We like foot pictures.

We stayed in a really nice hostel I found on the internet for $12 bucks each. It was a group dorm with 8 beds but no one else came so it was just us..

This AWESOME dog lived at our hostel. I want him. I want a dog so bad lately. I even have dreams about getting a dog and wake up very disappointed.

We went to the temple again on Saturday, spoke some English with the couple missionaries (One of the ladies told me how to make taco seasoning!), ate lunch in the cafeteria, bought a Spanish Book of Mormon for Jonathan, enjoyed sweating in the hot and humid sea air. It was great.

Other highlights include...

-finding a rare ice-cold Coca-Cola LIGHT right when I was extremely thirsty from climbing all the stairs. It was heaven.

-riding in the oldest taxi ever. I don't know how it still runs. Datsuns are cool.

-GIGANTIC bugs around the hostel.

-Eating McDonald's

-the 5 hour bus ride through paradise.

-getting laughed at by an indigenous girl on the bus ride home every time I sat forward in my seat. I don't know why.

-walking around Guayaquil in nylons on flip flops

Well, it was a great weekend, but today doesn't really feel like Easter without Cadbury eggs, Easter dinner with the family, and Easter hymns at church. Oh well, I'm not very good at playing the Easter hymns anyway.