Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes!

Yesterday we finished cleaning out our old apartment. We brought the rest of our stuff to our new house and scrubbed til the old one was sparkling clean for the new tenants.

I have to admit, there were a few days there where I was really sad to be moving. When we first moved in to our old house, it was really gross... even the paint colors were HORRIBLE. Poop brown for the bedroom, poop green for the living room, dark dark purple for the kitchen, and old orange tile in the bathroom. No exaggerations. We did a lot to fix the apartment up. Eventually, we got it to feel like home. As little and old as it was, I grew to like the poor-chic charm of our apartment.

Ever since we moved in, I've regretted not taking before and after pictures. Because really, it was nasty. Now, I wish I had a least taken after pictures. But I never did. 

 

As we were moving out, I got really sad and sentimental and wished I had gone through and taken lots of pictures or something so we'd have a record of the first place we lived after we got married... I'm still a little sad I didn't do that. I waited until it was too late. So now, all I have are the pictures we took so we could post the apartment on Craigslist. Not very good, the house is messy, they don't show every room, and we've already started packing a little so things aren't set up like they usually were. Sigh... oh well. I'll have to let it go. 

Goodbye old house.

Now... Hello new house! 

True, I will miss our old place. Mainly because it was our first place. But it is now time to move on. And I'm ready. Our new house is wonderful. MUCH more space. 

Things that make our new house SO much better:

Walking distance to campus. Covered parking. Close to lots of our friends. BIG kitchen!!! (Look at the kitchen picture above. That's pretty much the whole kitchen.) Closet space. Cheaper rent and utilities. No popcorn ceiling. Neutral paint on the walls. 

Only downsides so far:

The shower is a bit small. And the apartment is always really cold... but that will be good in the Summer right?

Yes, I love our new places. There are still boxes everywhere and it's more like we're camping than really living in a house at this point, but I already feel so much more at home here. There is just a good vibe in this house. It's a good feeling :)

So now, I'll take a deep breath, and dive into setting up our new life here.

:)

*amber*

What is Love?

It's Monday morning. The first morning of our summer. Seth will start his new job today and I will hopefully start some of my exciting projects I have planned this summer. It is 7am and I am awake. Why? I don't know. My body has liked to wake up early lately... of course it couldn't have done that when I had work and school at 8 every morning. 

Yesterday was such a good day. We went to our new ward and we think it will be a good fit. Everyone there is so friendly. And it's a married student ward. We've been in a family ward since we've been married and we liked it, but it's hard to stay involved when you're a busy college student. In this new ward, we're all kind of in the same situation.




* * *




Anyway, in Relief Society yesterday, we talked about the Book of Mormon. Our teacher made the comment that testimonies of children can be the most simple an profound. She read us the testimonies she has asked her three younger sisters to write. They were beautiful.


I kept thinking about that throughout the day. I've always been a sucker for those "from the mouths of babes" things. But it made me want to go out and ask little kids to share their testimonies with me.


* * *


When we got home from church, I got on the computer had this new email from my sister. I usually HATE Forwards, but this one was perfect.

A group of professionals posed this question to a group of 4 to
8 year-olds,

'What does love mean?'
 

Here are the answers:

'When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint
her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time,
even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love.'
Rebecca- age 8


'When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different.
You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.'
Billy - age 4


'Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne
and they go out and smell each other.'
Karl - age 5


'Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French
fries without making them give you any of theirs.'
Chrissy - age 6


'Love is what makes you smile when you're tired.'
Terri - age 4


'Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip
before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.'
Danny - age 7


'Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of
kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and
Daddy are like that.
They look gross when they kiss'
Emily - age 8


'Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents
and listen.'
Bobby - age 7


'If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend
who you hate,'
Nikka - age 6


'Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it every day.'
Noelle - age 7


'Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still
friends even after they know each other so well.'
Tommy - age 6


'During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked
at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling.
He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore.'
Cindy - age 8


'My mommy loves me more than anybody
You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.'
Clare - age 6


'Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.'
Elaine-age 5


'Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is
handsomer than Robert Redford.'
Chris - age 7


'Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone
all day.'
Mary Ann - age 4


'I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old
clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.'
Lauren - age 4


'When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little
stars come out of you.' (what an image)
Karen - age 7


'Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross.'
Mark - age 6


'You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you
mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.'
Jessica - age 8

And the final one:

The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an
elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife.
Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's
yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.
When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said,
'Nothing, I just helped him cry'

It's the age-old question. What is love to you?

This week, show someone you love them. It's not in the chocolate or flowers or expensive dinners by candlelight. It's in the simple, everyday things. And these children realized that. 

And if you are struggling to understand one of life's great questions, ask a child. They have a lot to teach us if we'll listen. 

*amber*

I'm back!

I know, I know, I keep saying that. But now I really am. At least, now I don't have as many excuses. I finished my finals Monday morning. So I should be free right? Well... not exactly. See... we have some news. We're Moving! Well actually... pretty much all moved now.

We also took care of my brother and sister this last week while my parents were on a cruise. Every day, we woke up in Sandy, got the kids off the school, drove to Provo, went to work, worked on moving, then drove back up to Sandy for the night. Crazy week. We haven't really gotten much else done.

Now that I've given you my excuses, I need to go get ready for church. More about the move later.

*amber*

Finally...

Finally putting up the pictures from our trip to Saint George.  (Click if they're too small to see. They were too big to show up all the way.)

We left Provo right as a big snow storm was blowing in and headed South. We enjoyed the warm(ish) weekend at dance competitions, shopping, swimming, and just relaxing. So nice...

Sunday, before we headed home, we had a picnic on the lawn in  front of the Saint George Temple. It was a beautiful day so we took lots of pictures. 

I love this temple. It's so beautiful. And the trees had blossoms which we didn't have at home yet, (we do now) so I went a little photo crazy.

Wow. It really is stunning.

We had fun taking some goofy pictures. 

And got some of the crazy people driving home with us. The girls on the right are my sister Alyse, and her friends Korin and Lexi who I teach. Those girls are INSANE! And a 5 hour car ride with them... well, it was an adventure. 

They also got a kick out of seeing us kiss. They saw us kiss once and started screaming and acting grossed out. So naturally, we did it again. Then they kept yelling "Don't kiss again!" because they wanted us to. Hahaha, oh little girls. You have to love them.

By the end of the day, they had completely worn me out. Whew!

What a lovely day. And now, Spring is finally coming to Provo! The trees are starting to bloom and I've gone two days without wearing a jacket to school! Ah, happy day. 

:)

*amber*

Finals Ninja

Whoosh.....

* * *

Did you see me?

Didn't think so. That's how stealthy I am. Only two finals left. 

Tonight I will smoothly debilitate my Doctrine and Covenants final with merely a touch to the right nerve. And tomorrow, I will flying roundhouse kick my Italian final in the face. All before they even saw it coming.

* * *

Um... this week really needs to end...

*the finals ninja*

Simple Summer Snack

I am so ready for Summer food. Fresh fruits and vegetables straight from the gardenr. No more heavy, thick comfort foods. Creative salads. Yes, my body is ready for it. I'm already craving Summer food.

Unfortunately, Spring hasn't quite his Provo. It's gotten close a few times and we can definitely sense it coming. And then Mother Nature will say "Just Kidding!" and plop us right back in the middle of winter. Come on Spring... I want to start growing our own tomatoes, green beans, and fresh basil.

Even though Summer's not here yet, and the days are still pretty chilly, (even when it's sunny) I was really craving Summery food yesterday, so I whipped up this simple little concoction with leftovers from our fridge. Mmmmm... totally hit the spot. 

Below are my easy step-by-step instructions. Follow carefully, this can be a complex recipe... (haha not at all. That's what I love about Summer food. So simple and so packed with flavor)

Here's what you do:

• Take out a tortilla (would also be really good with a whole wheat one, but we just had plain ol' flour ones)
• Spread fat-free cream cheese all over the tortilla
• Lay slices of turkey sandwich meat in a circle so they cover most of the tortilla (I used about 5-6 slices)
• Cut about 1/3 cucumber into paper-thin slices
• Lay the cucumbers on the turkey
• Sprinkle with feta cheese
• Roll tightly into a wrap
• If desired for an appetizer, cut into slices and seal closed with toothpicks
• Enjoy! 

 Random, but just thought I would share. Come on Summer! (or Spring would work too...)

*Sigh*

*amber*

Way to Go! Idaho!

I've mentioned before that Seth and I were able to take some mini-trips recently. It has been so nice because school and work tend to wear us down. If we didn't find these little ways to relax and rejuvenate, I'm sure we would be burned out by now. Provo is great and has its own unique quirkiness, but sometimes it's so nice to get away.

The first trip we got to take was to Idaho to see Seth's sister Heather who just had a baby!

I'd like to introduce you to our newest niece, Hailey Darlene Leavitt! Here she is with mommy Heather

And daddy Ryan.

Seth's mom came down from Washington for a few days so we got to spend some time with her too. It was so nice. We really miss our family up there.

And we got to hold the baby a little bit too! She was so sweet.

(Don't mind my fat cheeks, I had my wisdom teeth out two days before.)

We also got to play with our adorable nieces Elaina and McKenzie. They are just little balls of energy! And they've grown up so much since the last time we saw the. Last time we came to visit, Elaina was playful but Kenzie was just a quiet baby. She's still pretty quiet most of the time but she has turned into a real little toddler and loves to play and be silly with her big sister. Elaina has developed a love for singing since last time. She dances around the house singing random songs that she makes up at the top of her lungs. Sounds just like me when I was little :)

Both of them love their new little sister and try to take good care of her. Even if they don't quite realize that they can't be quite as rough with her as they are with each other. They're learning.

And here are all the girls. Thanks so much to Heather and Ryan for putting up with us for the weekend. It was great to see our family again.

We also got to spend the nights at Aunt Julie and Uncle Ron's house so I got to meet some more extended family. That's one thing that I love about married life. It's so much fun to meet new relatives and be accepted into a wonderful family. I really lucked out when it came to my inlaws :)

This trip was such a relief for us. School was really starting to get us down but as soon as we left, we relaxed. We spent the weekend stress-free (which may have had something to do with the fact that Heather and Ryan don't have internet so we couldn't work on homework) and felt so relaxed by the time we got home. 

While we were on the road, we listened to a book on tape of a fantasy book Seth liked when he was a kid. It was so fun to enjoy the simplicity of a children's novel again. I loved spending the weekend next to my husband, laughing enjoying free time together. 

* * *

This trip was great for another reason. It was one year ago (or close to it anyway) that Seth and I decided to make a spontaneous trip to Idaho. (I've  included pictures from the trip too.)

We had just started dating a couple weeks before. It was nearing the end of the semester and (just like this year) we just needed a change of scene. We were talking one day and Seth mentioned that it would be fun to go up to Idaho to visit his sister and her family. And the rest of his family would be there too on their way to Utah. He was really joking about the idea, but I jumped at it. I thought it would be so much fun to go on a mini road trip. So the next day, we packed our bags and drove up to Idaho. 

On the car ride there, we were able to talk for a long time. Our conversation turned to relationship matters and we both expressed our opinions openly. This is when I feel we really started to understand each other and what we wanted in this life. 

Saturday morning, we spent the day playing with the girls. We played monsters with Elaina. At one point, Seth and Elaina were the monsters and they chased me into the kitchen where they backed me into the corner. I was acting terrified so Elaina looked up at me and innocently said, "It's ok!" Seth's head dropped and he started laughing. It was just too cute. Then as he was taking her back into the living room, she turned to him and said, "She doesn't like you." We both cracked up and still quote that to this day. What a sweet girl.

Throughout the day, I was able to watch Seth roll around on the floor with Elaina and hold Kenzie and make her laugh. It was then that I first realized how much I really liked him. I didn't know it then, but that may have been when I first realized I loved him. It just hit me that this was the kind of man I wanted to spend the rest of forever with.

Later that evening, the rest of Seth's family got in so I got to meet his Mom, Dad, and younger brother Kyle and Jordan. I noticed right away how open they were to me and what a loving family they were. I admit, I was nervous to meet the family, but it was a good experience once it happened.

On the way home, Seth and I talked some more and, because it was getting late and would be Sunday soon, we decided to listen to church music. We spent the next couple hours filling the car with the Mormon Tabernacle choir and singing at the top of our lungs. Funny as it might sound, it was one of the most romantic things I've ever done. (Just one of them. Seth is quite the romantic. And not in the cheesy movie way.) We also stopped for a minute to look at all the stars. The sky was perfectly clear and it was beautiful.

That night when we got home, Seth told me he loved me for the first time. I didn't respond because I didn't want to say it unless I knew I truly loved him too. It was ok because he didn't think he was going to tell me and he thought I didn't hear, so he acted like it didn't happen. (I told him I loved him too a few days later, once I had realized what I felt for him.)

That trip is full of special memories for me. Another fun part of going to Idaho this year was thinking back to that time and remembering how nervous we were, yet how comfortable we felt with each other.

Seth, I love you too.

*amber*