Post Haircut Photoshoot

Ok so I was too chicken to do the haircut last night, so we did it this afternoon. It was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be and it turned out way better than I had even hoped for. (I had pretty low expectations haha.) After the haircut, Seth showered and got all dressed up to go home teaching, so we decided to have a new haircut photoshoot!

I realized, too late, that I should have taken some before pictures. But just trust me, it was getting long. I like his hair a bit longish because it's fun to play with, but it looks better shorter... such a dilema.

Note: when I say long, I'm talking about a BYU student who is still allowed to walk around campus. So compared to many guys, his hair was still short. However, when his hair gets longer, it gets a little wavy and curly and goes all over the place so it just looks a bit messy.

And now... the big reveal!


Such a dashing fellow.

Closeup!

Sigh... such a good looking man. Posing next to the flowers haha.

I was terrified.

Posing with the scissors with which I dominated the world of cutting men's hair (which I knew nothing about!)

Ok, now I was just getting silly. Also, I like how he looks so nice and I have crazy messy hair and look frazzled. Sunday naps... It happens.

Don't do it!!! My mom should enjoy this one... in kindergarten, I cut my bangs clean off. All the way down to little stubbies on my forehead. As a punishment, my mom made me cut the hair off my doll... I bawled the whole time. Cruel mother, cruel. I never cut my hair again.

At least until now... now I cut my own bangs because haircuts are too expensive. I haven't had one in about a year and a half! plus I'm growing my hair out again.


Anyway... what do you think of the haircut? Any tips? Feedback would be extremely helpful... like I said, I know nothing about men's hair.


...That's all.
Happy Sunday me lovelies!

*amber*

S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y NIGHT!

Seth and I just got home from the Temple. In a moment, I will be off to enjoy fondue night with the girls!

(From left to right... Averyl, Jessica, Me, um... Calli? ... and yes. That is an accurate portrait of me.)

And when I get home... I'm giving my first haircut!!! Seth needs one badly and I am completely terrified.

My mother in law showed me how to do it over Christmas but I'm afraid I forgot how already.


On the bright side... if I completely ruin his gorgeous locks, I can always turn it into this!


I'm sure Seth wouldn't mind as he enjoys his occasional in-class-nap. Although, I'd have to nix the beard. Honor Code violation right there. The stache however, we're ok with.

Now off to the mighty feast. Caio!

*amber*

I feel obligated to say something... but what??

Well it's been a while since I've written anything. So much has been going on but, for some reason, I feel like there's nothing to write. Really, I think my brain is just overloaded. I've kind of been in a blah mood lately so that might have something to do with it as well.

Anyway... to update on the situation with Grandpa, things were really scary there for awhile after he came out of surgery, but now he is back awake and working on recovering at a rehabilitation center. We are so grateful for all the prayers and thoughts. (If you want the whole story, feel free to ask. It's pretty long.)

As for what we've been up to lately, basically school and working. We've started this new thing where we do something fun every night along with our homework. I will admit, some nights it totally distracts us from what we should be doing... but it helps relieve the stress and makes our evenings more enjoyable. For example, last night I did some baking (practicing an idea I had for Valentines Day) and we watched the new BBC miniseries of Jane Austen's "Emma". If you missed it on tv (we did because we don't get tv :( not even the local channels) you can watch it online here.

I loved it. But then, I love mostly everything from that genre. And Miss Austen.

Other than that, I can hardly remember what else has been going on. Time seems to be moving so quickly and the days are all a blur. I could swear it's still Monday. But no, it's Friday! Huzzah!!! I have a feeling this weekend's going to be a good one. Here are the plans:

Saturday:

• 8:00 am (That's right... 8 on a Saturday!) go up to Salt Lake to teach the two dances I am choreographing this year.
• Possibly stop by my house to visit my adorable little cousins because my mom has them for the weekend.
• Possibly also visit my bestie Lauren and catch up because we never see each other anymore.
• Stake Conference at 2:00.
• Straight from Conference to the Temple.
• Girls' Night with my old roommates. We also have lots of catching up to do so we planned a fondue night. Cheese, Tempura, and Chocolate. Mmmmm... I can hardly wait.

Sunday:

• Wake up.
• Realize we don't have church for a few more hours.
• Go back to bed.
• Wake up and realize we forgot to set an alarm so we have to rush to get ready.
• Go to church and teach our awesome Sunday school class.
• Be told we are the most awesome teachers ever because we bring them candy (this on may or may not happen... it's my fantasy of Sunday ok?)

and.... We'll see what else. Happy weekend everyone!

Coming soon: My ultimate domination of DI shopping.

*amber*

PS: I apologize for the scatterbrained-ness and blah-ness. I'm working on it...

Update

Grandpa is now out of surgery and everything appears to be going well. His brain still hasn't moved back over but it should with some time. Thank you for your prayers. Keep him in your hearts so his recovery will go well.

My mom finally got back to me and answered all my questions because I was completely in the dark about everything. I didn't know about the accident he got it but I found out that before Christmas, he was walking to Home Depot and, on the way home, slipped on some ice and fell. He was holding bags so he couldn't get his hands under him and hit his head. He was bleeding and stuff but if you know my Grandpa, you know how tough he is so it didn't really phase him too much. January 2, they went out of town. While they were gone, he got a bad headache but didn't think too much of it. Then yesterday, my Grandma was talking to Grandpa's brother and told him about his weird symptoms and he told her to call the doctor right away. He waited 2 1/2 hours to get in (for head trauma... really?) When he finally got in, they found what they said was the biggest hematoma they'd ever seen. Then they rushed him to a different hospital, then a different one today. He got into surgery late but it sounds like everything went well so we are all relieved and hope it continues to get better from here.

My mom said it was so weird seeing her dad in the hospital, lying down in a hospital gown. That is so not him. He is the most hardworking man in the world and is ALWAYS on the go and helping someone. He is such a great man and I love him so much. Seth and I got to visit him and my Grandma on Saturday and we had so much fun talking to them.

Anyway, needless to say, today was a bit of a rough day. I cried alot more than I probably should have, especially with the little information I had (which in a way, made it worse because I was scared and didn't know what was happening.) Seth said a prayer and spent some time talking to and comforting me. I love that man. He is so good for me.

On to the lighter part of the story... So when my Grandpa was taken to the second hospital, my aunt Tya and uncle Brandon were preparing to leave the same hospital. And they didn't know my Grandpa was there! (Grandma didn't tell everyone til today.) Anyway, the reason they were there was because... We have a new member of our family!!! Baby Jocelyn was born on the 14th. We got to see her on Saturday too and she is the sweetest thing!



Congratulations to the new parents!!!

So that's what's going on in our family right now. I'm sure there will be more updates in the near future. But for now, everything feels a little better.

Oh, and while I was all upset about my Grandpa, I really needed to do something to take my mind off it so I started a new project. I'm remaking one of my shirts! So far it's looking pretty good... I'll post pictures when I'm done.

*amber*

We need your prayers

I didn't know this but my Grandpa had an accident before Christmas and has sustained a subdural hematoma. For over a month, he has had a slow bleed on his brain that has collected as a mass clot and pushed the right side of his brain down and over to the left 12 cm. It is a massive hematoma in size. He has been waiting now to go into surgery. Although this is often life threatening, hopes are high for a good outcome. This is all I know right now. When I find out more, I will update.

For now, PLEASE pray for my Grandpa.

He and Grandma were planning to go on their second mission sometime around April. They went on their first mission to Kenya a few years ago. They loved it and changed so many lives. They were so excited to have the opportunity again. We love you Grandpa and really hope everything turns out well.

More when I have more details.

*amber*

On Holiday

Today, we spent our lovely holiday in Tabiona. My dear friend Ruth has a farm up there and I've been a few times. Every time I go, I have a blast. There are so many fun things to do and her family is so sweet and hospitable. We love the Turnbows!This is Ruth and her little sister Rachel in Tabby when they were little. So cute huh?

We realized that I hadn't been up there for a few years so Ruth invited us for MLK Day. Plus Seth had never ridden a horse (which is what we usually spend most of the time doing) so we decided it would be a good idea to remedy that. We headed up last night at 8 and spent the night. We got to sleep in a bit, although I woke up at 7 for some reason... but I dozed off again for a bit and had an awesome dream about joining the BYU swim team... yes random. Anyway... we woke up to some fresh snow so we ate a yummy breakfast of eggs, bacon, potatoes and oj, suited up, and headed out to play in the snow.

First on the agenda was jumping off the roof of the shed into the snow. I was too chicken :) but it looked like fun.

Then we went snowmobiling. It was great and awesome and Seth got pulled behind one on a sled and froze a smile onto his face... literally haha.

Then we played an intense hockey game against Ruth's cousins. There is a big field that for some reason is covered in ice. Like a thick layer of solid, smooth ice. So her uncle plowed off a square for us and we played hockey! It was so much fun and got really competitive. Only problem was the ice was SO slippery. Especially in some spots and we were just in boots. So people were falling all over the place. Haha, it was hilarious. Except Seth hit his knees pretty hard a couple times and one started swelling :( Sorry honey.

After hockey, we were pretty beat so we went back to the house for hot chocolate. The next thing on the agenda was horseback riding but we were all so tired and cold and there was really only one horse that we could ride and... well basically riding when it's cold isn't quite as much fun as in the summer. And later this year they'll have more horses trained for visitors to ride so we planned to come back sometime in the spring. I'm excited to take Seth on his first horse ride :)

So we just decided to go home early (early meaning before we'd done everything we wanted to do and after the time we'd said we'd leave haha.) We made a plan to stop at Granny's on the way through Heber but it was closed!!! I was so sad. If you've never been to Granny's in Heber, GO. Today. Our family used to go on the way back from camping or fishing and they have the best shakes. Because Granny's wasn't an option, we had Wendy's for dinner. I didn't mind too much :) I love my frosties.

So... that was our day! Great fun. Future plans: go back to Tabby when it's warmer, go on amazing horseback rides through the newly green fields, maybe tube the river again if it's warm enough, and really stop at Granny's on the way back.

Ah... what a great day! It was great to just get away on that mini vacation. Now... back to school. whoo.

(Oh and it's supposed to snow all week which means... yep! Probably getting up at 4 every morning so Seth can go shovel! Lovely. It's a really good thing we went today...)

*amber*

Right now I am loving...

This.

Isn't it absolutely adorable??

This picture was taken at a ward party when I was little. I think it the cutest picture ever.

Awww love... isn't it the greatest?

Anyway, I have always loved this picture so much that this year for Christmas, Seth and I had it blown up and framed it for my parents. I think it is my favorite Christmas present I've ever given... are you allowed to have favorite presents that you've given? Anyway, great idea sweetheart (Seth thought of it.)



Until next time, have a fantastic MLK Day (NO SCHOOL!!!) and look around you and enjoy the freedoms you now have thanks to that amazing man. (This includes minorities, but women too because the second women's movement followed, and drew from, the civil rights movement.) Embrace the beautiful life you've been given!

*amber*

Happy Weekend!!!

Missing Miss Olivia...

Olivia is my camera. A couple of months ago, she died. Usually, reviving a dead camera is an easy procedure. However, my key piece of equipment (the power cord) was missing. So I ordered a new one from ebay. For a dollar. From a guy in China. It never came. (Should've known.) Now my poor Olivia is stuck in a vegetable state because I am determined to bring her back but too cheap to pay a lot of money for a cord I know I'll find one of these days. I'll figure something out... hopefully soon. Olivia has been missing out on a lot of my life experiences.

In loving memory of my dear Olivia, I will share with you the best picture we ever took together ("best" meaning most looks-like-a-professional-photographer-took-this-esque. there is another category of "best" for pictures that depict the most meaningful memories. although interestingly, this one kind of succeeds at both...)

Come back to us soon Olivia.

PS: I have long had a secret interest in photography but never really pursued it. In my younger years, I wanted to be a wedding photographer when I grew up. If any of you have any experience or tips that would be helpful to a novice like me (once I have a camera, that is,) please pass them along. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Have a Wonderful Wednesday.
*amber*

Seth says the darndest things...

So officially, Seth is the cutest guy I've ever met. No seriously, SO cute. And sometimes, he just says or does the cutest things. One of these things is his astounding ability to fall asleep in the middle of a sentence. We'll be lying in bed and he'll be telling me a story and right in the middle, not even at a pause or a comma or anything, he'll be gone and breathing heavily.

Even more amusing is his ability to fall asleep, start dreaming, continue talking to me but instead of continuing what he was saying, he starts talking about his dream. This is also in the middle of a sentence.

Here are some examples from today only...

• (telling me about the first time he saw me) "I saw this girl across the room and realized she was the kind of girl I could marry and stopped playing her games. So wh..." This dream involved us playing games of some sort.
  
• (I don't remember what he was saying before this one) "... she changed!"Referring to some lady who changed her hair.
• (This one he actually did stop speaking in the middle of his sentence but when I said honey to see if he was still awake, he told me what he was going to say... according to the third dream) "...drawing blood."
  

There were others but unfortunately, they've slipped my memory. I'll have to start writing them down. (In case you didn't notice, the dream talking is in blue.)

Apparently, Seth has a history of sleep talking. His brother Trevor once told me a story that is now one of my favorites. Seth and Trevor used to share a room and one night, Trevor woke up in the middle of the night because he thought he heard something. He looked up and Seth was wandering around the room. Trevor told him to go back to bed, but realized he was sleep walking. He walked up to Seth and shook his shoulders to wake him up. Seth just stared at him. Suddenly, Seth pointed violently at Trevor and said
"STRIKE! You're lucky you're still alive..."

Trevor has more of these stories and trust me, they are treasures. Yep, he is adorable.

hehe... love my man.

*amber*

My bloggie's Monday Makeover!

So... you might have noticed that I changed the appearance of our blog! I like this one much better. I think it is much more visually appealing. The old one, although I love the color and damask pattern, was WAY too overwhelming on my senses. So... I feel like a nerd but... I'd like to know what you think of it! I had to experiment a bit to get things to work right and I think I still have some tweeking to do (like the fact that the blues in the background and banner don't match). However, if you have any suggestions for our little bloggie to make it cooler... or anything you don't like (don't be too mean)... or even suggestions of things you'd like to read about... please leave me a comment. That is all for now.

Grazie,
*amber*

Mama Mia! It has been a long time!

So here's my excuse. Last Sunday, I started writing a super long (even for me) post about Christmas and New Years and wishing everyone a late Merry Christmas because I didn't before then and... needless to say that post was never completed. For the sake of your sanity as well as mine, I will not put you through reading the novel I wrote about our holidays. Instead, I decided to move on and start fresh with the new year. Sorry if you really wanted to hear about everything that has happened the past month (haha all 4 of you who follow this blog.) However, I will include a selection of pictures and an EXTREMELY condensed recap of our adventure in WA. Christmas Eve, Seth and I tried to take a picture and his camera died. And mine is permanently dead (I lost my charger and the one I ordered from ebay never came) so all of the pictures we have are from Dad Dickson... Photographer Extraordinaire!

Thanks Dad!Christmas morning in our matching pj's from the Christmas Fairy! :)We got to spend some quality time eating Vietnamese food and bowling with Trev and Kels. Loved seeing Megan and Lee and playing with our ADORABLE nieces.Opened some amazing presents.Addie helped us break in our new skillet by pretending to make cookies in it.Sunday after Christmas, Megan, Lee and the girls came over again. Zoe joined us when we escaped to read our books and took pictures with our phones.Sunday night... TIM TAM SLAM!!! For those of you who don't know what this is... come over.Our last day in WA, we visited the glass museum in Tacoma.

And visited Trevor at his job in the gift shop.

Then we took a ferry to Seattle. "I'm flying!"

And took some nice pictures.

My first view of Seattle

We went to Pike's Place on the waterfront.

It was a cool little market.

Then, straight to the airport and home to Utah.

There you go. There's some of what happened over our break. At least what was captured on film.

Now... 2010!!! Holy Cow!!! We have been back to school for a week (even though everyone else goes back tomorrow...) and so far I am liking my classes, but am WAY busier than last semester. If you haven't heard, I have a new job! I'm working at BYU Broadcasting and I'm really liking it. As for classes, I'm taking Italian, Masterpieces of English Literature, Women's Studies, Doctrine and Covenants, Judaism and the Gospel, and some online classes. On top of that, I bought a pass to take some aerobics classes! One of my New Year's resolutions was to work out at least twice a week. AT LEAST. Seth and I have a new calling as well. We are teaching the 12-13 year old Sunday School class. We've been liking it so far but they are so funny! Last week, the boy that said the prayer prayed that we would all get sick so we wouldn't have to go to school the next day. Haha It took everything I had not to laugh! Oh, and I'm choreographing my sister's solo and a lyrical dance for a group of girls.

So... basically I have a lot more going on than last semester. Last semester I had class... then go home. However, I still felt busy all the time but never felt like I was accomplishing anything. I'm hoping by staying busier, I'll be more efficient. We'll see how it goes... I'm staying optimistic :)

Ok now, Italian! In case you weren't aware, I am completely OBSESSED with Italian. I love the language and think it's beautiful and I have dreamed of going to Italy as long as I can remember. I could go on and on about how much I love everything that has anything to do with Italy... but I'll spare you. Instead, I will just tell you that I decided to start taking lessons and so far I am LOVING it! But struggling... which is to be expected I suppose. Be forewarned: in the near future I may start using Italian words at random.

On the Italian note, yesterday we watched La Bella Vita (aka Life is Beautiful) which Seth got me for Christmas and is one of my favorite movies of all time. No matter how many times I see it, the end always kills me. I was bawling like a baby (Seth cried too... sh, don't tell hehe.) LOVE that movie.

Um... so I think all this business is making me extremely scatter brained so I feel like there's more to write but not I'm not sure what so I think I will end now, while I'm ahead. Excuse my randomness and babbling.

Oh, and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! (half a month late... better than never, right?)

*amber*