Andy & Amanda

Miss Self Sufficient

2011-05-31T09:55:00.000-07:00

Over the last couple of years I've been wanting to simplify my life, save some money, and be a little more self sufficient! To start, I thought that I should examine some of the things I use in our household and see what changes I can make. I began with our laundry detergent! I get so frustrated by how expensive laundry detergent is in the grocery store, and even buying at Costco gets pricey. So I did a little bit of research and found a homemade laundry detergent recipe that I am totally loving. It seriously took five minutes to make, three ingredients, and saves us over fifty percent every load.

Here's how it goes down:

1 bar of laundry soap (I used Fels Naptha, but you can even use regular bar soap)

1 cup of Borax

1 cup of washing soda (I actually used a knock-off oxyclean powder)

I used an air-tight 48 oz tupperware container, but I totally would have used an old washed-out food container if I had one handy. Grate the bar of laundry soap finely into the container, then add the Borax and washing soda. Stir until thoroughly blended. Then use one tablespoon per load, maybe two if the load is super soiled.

Mine looks like this:

The next thing I discovered that we could make ourselves is butter! Making this is so much fun, and Andy and I love that we are involved in the process and we know that there are no additives that we haven't put in ourselves. It saves us a ton of money, because for the same price of a pound of butter you can buy a big jug of heavy whipping cream, which yields multiple batches of your own butter while also providing buttermilk that we can use to bake with! Also, you can mix in garlic, onion powder, and herbs for a yummy spread for breadsticks and french bread, or you can add honey and cinnamon for a delish topping for toast or scones!

It is seriously so simple to make. You just get some heavy whipping cream and pour it into a container that you can put a lid on (I just use tupperware). Fill the container about halfway, to give it room to whip, and add just a dash of salt or any other spices you want to flavor with. Then you just shake the container for 8-13 minutes, Andy and I like to take turns. A friend of mine loves to give a container to each of her kids and they just go crazy for ten minutes. Then you drain the buttermilk, and continue to shake for about five minutes until it gets nice and creamy. And enjoy!

Another way for us to save money and contribute to our household is by creating our own wonderful household cleaners. We have pets, so I try to be super careful about the cleaners we use, as I don't want them to be harmful for us or our pets. Lemons are naturally antibacterial, so I filled a spray bottle with one part pure lemon juice and one part purified water, which I just use to wipe down countertops and general surfaces. I also have another spray bottle filled with one part vinegar and one part purified water which I use to clean mirrors, windows, and trash cans because it provides a streak-free shine and eliminates odors which might live in the trash!

I have been loving taking care of our household and finding ways in which we can save money and contribute first-hand to the products we use every day. Simplicity is my mantra, and self sufficiency is so important to us. I don't want to just be a mindless consumer.

After today

2011-05-16T11:51:00.000-07:00

It has been so long since I posted last! I promised myself after the last giant gap that I would try to post monthly, and we can all see how well that went.

School has been out for about a week and now I find myself with a whole lot more free time than I'm used to! I have forgotten how much I missed summertime, and I totally feel like Max in A Goofy Movie, singing the first song about school getting out! (If you don't know what I'm talking about you better see A Goofy Movie and familiarize yourself real quick.)

Just for a quick update, and to remind myself why I live in Pocatello, I'll recap what Andy and I are up to. We are both going to school at Idaho State University. I will finish my B.A. in American Studies this December and then I'm going to get a Master's Degree in Counseling. I take the GRE in July (so wish me luck, and any tips would be totally appreciated), and then I will apply to my top five schools: Idaho State University-Boise Campus, Lewis and Clark University in Portland, Boise State University, Northern Arizona University, and University of New Mexico in Santa Fe. Andy just finished his second year studying Political Science, and will soon get his Associate's which will allow him to transfer wherever I get into Graduate School. He hopes to teach in the future, or work in some capacity for local government in a non-elected position.

Sometimes I find myself playing the "I can't wait" game, as in, "I can't wait until we graduate; I can't wait until we have a home; I can't wait until we move; I can't wait until we have kids; I can't wait until we have this, that, and the other." But this, too, is life. I love our apartment, I love my husband, I love our life. We are truly enjoying this time of our life and the opportunity we have to learn and grow right now, to develop ourselves individually and to cultivate the life we are creating together.

And for now, WE ARE SO EXCITED FOR SUMMER! We love the summertime. Because I hate posts without pictures, here is one of our favorite summer pasttimes: camping! We plan to do a ton of camping this summer, and if anyone ever wants to join us, we love company!

Since You've Been Gone...

2010-04-22T15:34:00.000-07:00

So I realized I haven't really documented what has transpired this past year. My last real update was before May of 2009, so I thought I'd better catch up on what I missed since then. The timeline of photos below goes from May 2009 (at the top), to March 2010.

In this slot of May 2009 I should be posting pictures of my friend Emily Cardenas and her mission farewell to Oakland, California (Spanish speaking). On that very weekend my parents were on their way to Eastern Idaho for Memorial Day to camp with relatives and remember loved ones. On their way to the camp-site they had a terrifying collision with an elk. If you've ever known anyone to survive hitting an elk, you're lucky. Apparently they hit the elk perpendicularly and its head wrapped around the driver's side, smashing the driver's door. We were told that if the elk's antlers had pierced the door, my dad would no longer be with us. Miraculously, my parents and younger brother Rod walked away from the wreck without any injury and an awesome story to tell. They were able to call a 24 hour toe-truck, made their way to a nearby motel, and called Andy and me in the morning to come and rescue them. So I wasn't able to attend the missionary farewell, but I was so grateful I was meeting up with my family safe and sound. It's moments like these that remind me of the fragility of life. We are all here for a reason.

On a lighter note, when we made it to the camp-site this outhouse was the only restroom in the area. I'm glad we didn't have to dig trenches, I just thought that it looked hilarious and oh-so-private! No door, just a curtain.

Andy did some sweet skeet-shooting. He hit four out of the five targets! Yee-haw!

Then in June we were fortunate enough to be able to take a trip with my family to Florida for our annual Frew Family reunion. We missed everyone who wasn't able to be there, but man was that fun!

What's Florida without some major burn-age? This is my little brother Rod, red as a lobster. I made him show us the contrast, sorry if it's too much to handle.

At first Andy said he wouldn't get in and swim with me, but look at those enticingly calm waves! I coaxed him in, and then couldn't get him out of the water. We stayed in the water for two days straight, it was unbelievable.

On my actual birthday (June 9) on our trip to Florida we got a phone call from Kelly back in Idaho...my newest nephew was born on my birthday! His name is Teancum Joseph Frew, Tank for short, and he is so much fun. Also, I feel sort of a bond because we share a birthday. This is a more recent picture of him with my mom, but it was a joyful part of our trip to Florida, so I thought I'd better include it!

This was the view immediately outside of the sliding glass door to our hotel room. It was so incredible to wake up every morning to soft waves crashing on the beach.

Later (the gap in photos is attributed to the beginning of a new school year...no time for fun), in November 2009 we were able to take a trip to Chicago for Andy's cousin Derek's wedding. Derek and Sara had an awesome wedding in western Illinois, and we were so happy to be able to share in their joy.

Andy was a groomsman with his long-time friend, Dave.

And their was no shortage of goofiness.

After the wedding, Andy and I spent a day and a night in downtown Chicago checking out the local scene which of course includes Navy Pier. An awesome fact is that the Ferris Wheel made its debut in Chicago for the World's Fair of 1892. It was supposed to be a structure to rival the Eiffel Tower, and it totally succeeded because it was innovative and seemed to defy the laws of nature.

Andy fell in love with Bubba-Gump Shrimp.

While I fell in love with Chicago.

This photo was takin in November of 2009 when Andy and I went to the Declo High School state football game at Holt Arena in Pocatello with Andy's family. We mainly went because our niece Ciara dances for Declo and they were doing the half-time show. It was awesome!

In January 2010, Andy joined the NRA, complete with the bumper sticker and hat. And he loves his hat.

In February 2010, we moved! Wahoo! Our new place is in Chubbuck, and we absolutely love it. We no longer have to shove all of our belongings into any spare corner we can find! We now have two roomy bedrooms complete with closets (so come visit anytime!), and a bathroom where you can sit on the toilet without your knees hitting the side of the bath tub! I am in heaven here, and rarely leave the house anymore.

Our little two-person table actually fits in our dining area with ample spare room. Love it.

We actually have counter-space! In addition to the counters shown, there is a whole other countertop opposite the stove. I absolutely love baking here now!

We have had so much fun getting settled in our new place, it's such a great feeling to love where you live.

One of the fruits of my labors.

Andy and I have been so blessed this year, in so many ways. I am so grateful for family close-by who love and support us. We have had some incredibly joyful times, and some harrowing ones. Thanks for sharing them with us.

The Duke!

2010-04-15T10:49:00.000-07:00

Andy and I go look at puppies almost every week at a nearby pet store, always longing for one to take home. We always find one we want, but have had the sense to say that we would wait. Well, last September we went to the pet store and just could not resist a chubby Boston Terrier. We scooped him up and took him home without looking back! We named him Duke, and he is the most entertaining dog I've ever known. Here are some memorable moments (the most recent are at the top, and the lowest picture is when we first got him).
He especially loves his squeaky toys because he goes on a mad search for the squeaker. He will rip a toy apart until he has found that little contraption that makes the squeaking sound and silences it. Above are the results of his quest.

Duke loves being tucked in, and when he crawls into bed with us in the morning after being let out of his crate, he burrows beneath the covers. Precious.

One of his favorite things to do is twist the caps off of old soda bottles. Once he succeeds he runs triumphantly around the house showing off with the cap in his mouth.

He absolutely loves falling asleep on our laps. If we ever plop down on the couch, he climbs right up and crawls on one of our laps for a snooze. It's Andy's favorite.

In our old apartment we had this wall heater which blew hot air right on this arm of the couch (the couch cover is off because of a little potty training accident...). Duke's favorite thing was to climb up on the arm of the couch and soak in the heat. Because the couch cover was off, he slipped in between the couch cushions and fell asleep until the flash of my camera went off, resulting in one of my favorite moments.

We found that Duke loves air-popped popcorn. He will eat it all day with me, and we figured it couldn't cause too much harm. Plus, since Andy doesn't like popcorn, I need a buddy to eat it with me while we watch movies!

Last fall we took him to my parent's house in Boise and we went to the park where Duke ran amok. He was fascinated with the leaves, but hated walking on them because of the crunching sound.

This was our very first car ride with the Dukester. He loves car rides, and fit snuggly between us in the front seat. We were told that Boston Terriers are sensitive to extreme weather, so we bought him a sweater which he totally drowned in, but now doesn't even fit over his head.

This is one of my favorites. One of the first days we had him Dukey fell asleep on the couch with his tongue hanging out. I just can't believe how much he looks like a piglet in this picture, his was so chubby!

To My Valentine

2010-02-11T17:38:00.000-08:00

Some days I can't believe it's been almost two years since we got married, and other times it feels like a lifetime! In any case, I can't imagine my life without Andy. Valentine's Day is quickly approaching, and for this year I decided to give Andy a bound book of our wedding pictures, since I still haven't put any of them in a scrapbook. Here is the finished project; it was so fun to go through all of our pictures and remember all of the amazing moments of our engagement and wedding. Happy Valentine's Day!

Don't worry, this won't be my only post for the next eight months!

This is where we are..

2009-05-27T21:30:00.000-07:00

So, I was inspired by my friend Stephanie Mitchell's blog to peruse our photos and find some gems for you. Enjoy!

This picture was taken at my little brother's baptism. Obviously I feel passionate about whatever I'm saying.

This was taken Christmas morning, 2007. One thing you must know is that we absolutely adore my Grandma Neal (my dad's mom), she gives the most interesting Christmas gifts! This is one of my favorites: a flowered, sleeveless housedress. I can hardly contain my excitement! Andy loved it so much he's holding it up for all to see. Also, the 99 cent tag was a nice touch.

One day after I got ready for bed, I came out of the bathroom to find Andy on the couch exactly like this. And he has never given an explanation.

I'm pretty sure this is when I caught Andy checking himself out in the mirror. Such a hottie!

This was taken on Andy's 28th birthday, a night to remember. We went to a pretty shady bowling alley and I caught Andy's excitement over the whole ordeal on camera. If you want to know more, look at my previous post on Andy's birthday!

How could I leave this picture out? Classic.

Also, I apparently like to take pictures of myself to see how my hair looks. And I'm pretty sure I'm wearing that exact same outfit and hairstyle as we speak, although this picture was taken many months ago. Why mess with a good thing?

Going Fishin'

2009-04-10T10:17:00.001-07:00

Andy and I have been wanting to go fishing for a while now, we've just been waiting for the weather to clear up a little bit. Monday the Pocatello area finally got a little bit of a break from winter, the clouds cleared, and Andy and I decided we needed to go on a quest for some sweet fishing spots! The only place I knew of was the American Falls resevoir, so off we went! It took some time, but we found some accessible fishing areas, and it was so much fun to go on my very first fishing adventure!

Andy's an awful lot more experienced than I am, so he showed me how to cast and I got hooked!

Mi Casa

2009-04-10T10:03:00.000-07:00

So I've gotten a few requests for me to post some pictures of our glorious apartment. It's a one bedroom apartment that I've lived in since I moved to Pocatello a couple of years ago. Before I got married it was so nice to be able to have my own place to live without roommates (although all of my roommates were fabulous). I'm just definitely a person who likes her own space. So, this apartment is definitely cozy for Andy and me, but we have had so much fun figuring out how to fit everything in here. And by "so much fun", I mean "a really terrible time". However, I really think that we've made the most of the space that we have, and we are so grateful to have a home like this to live in while we go to school, work, and try to make sense of our lives.

Below is a picture of our bathroom, which is the bane of Andy's existence. First of all, when you sit on it your knees bang up against the tub, so we end up sitting sideways on it. So much fun. Also, the bathtub tiling is eroding, which basically means that water leaks all over the floor whenever we take a shower. So we have a great little device for preventing water damage as much as possible. It's called a towel that we put next to the tub when we shower. Sophisticated.

Oh, one of our priorities right now is obtaining a year supply of food storage for Andy and me. I got really excited about it a couple of weeks ago when the local grocery store was having their case lot sale. We ended up buying a huge case of honey, tons of wheat, flour, cooking oil, yeast, baking soda, and other canned goods. Also, I bought three 7-gallon jugs for storing water. Now the trick is figuring out where to put all of it! Right now they serve as conversation pieces in our living room. Classy.

Tween

2009-03-24T13:56:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone! It has been a pretty busy month for us, March has completely flown by!

So, some of you may know a little singer by the name of David Archuleta! He has an absolutely amazing singing voice and he seems like such a sweet kid! I bought his cd a while ago, which includes mostly teeny-bopper songs (ok, I feel like a 50 year old saying that). There are a few songs on the cd that I like, but mostly it's just nice to hear him sing! Well, a couple of weeks ago my cousin Kathryn Ririe called me up to ask if I wanted to go with her to the David Archuleta concert in Pocatello, and obviously I said YES!

Here are some of the highlights (sorry the lighting/picture isn't as amazing as the actual concert was):

Even though the average age of the audience was like 12, Kathryn and I had a blast! David Archuleta is such a wholesome performer and I'm so glad I got the opportunity to support him and his music. What a great influence for young people today!

A Long Time Comin'

2009-02-19T05:48:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've posted anything, which I'm sure has broken hearts around the globe. I can't seem to keep up on my personal journal writing either; the last time I wrote in it was right after our wedding (in June) and I gave up halfway through my entry because I was too overwhelmed with everything I wanted to write. I'll return to it almost a year later and continue where I left off, and hopefully I'll bring a different perspective and some newfound wisdom to it.

As far as an update goes, Andy and I are doing wonderfully! I am working on my BA in English here at Idaho State University, and then I plan on getting a Master's in Education at Boise State, or here at ISU depending on the circumstances. Andy is working really early mornings for UPS and is in search of a second job for the rest of the day, which has proven difficult given the job market in southeastern Idaho.

So here's what we've been up to lately:

Last week I went with my cousin Andrea to Boise to watch her three kids while she attended a three-day conference affiliated with the business she runs, Signing4Baby. I've tended children since I was 10 so I'm not typically intimidated by watching kids for an extended period of time, but you don't know Andrea's kids (unless you do, and then you know what I'm talking about). They're awesome kids, just a huge handful. They are 5, almost 3, and 9 months, and they have the energy and mischieviousness of a whole army of children. I was definitely tuckered out after only a few hours, I don't know how Andrea does it all the time! She is a great mom and has some incredible stamina.

Here is Ben and Brandon, asleep and holding hands on our way to Boise. Little did I know...

Annie, Brandon, and Ben

Oh, the love.

Andy came into town on Friday to help relieve me of some of my duties. What a good husband!

My mom and the ever-adorable Sophie (our niece).

On a different note, my laptop which I have had since my high school graduation has been acting up. It's almost three years old now, so it's probably to be expected. Well, I love my computer, we've been through a lot together and so I wanted to do everything possible to save it before I considered replacing it. I checked around with several computer repair services to check prices and see what they might be able to do. The prices were outrageous. So, I figured that it was nearly lost to me anyway, I might as well take a crack at it. I was pretty sure everything just needed to be cleaned, anyway. So Andy and I looked up an HP service manual online, and followed the instructions of how to disassemble an HP Pavillion notebook. I was terrified when our computer looked like this:

When we finally got everything disassembled, we discovered a HUGE pile of lint and other debris inside the heat sink. I diagnosed this as the problem. So we took some compressed air and just cleaned out all of the components we could like the heat sink, fan, and any other nook or cranny. After I was satisfied with our cleaning job, we took action to reassemble the computer. This was the most frightening part. We had all these tiny screws laying on our coffee table and we had to follow the instructions backwards to make sure we put everything back together correctly. I'll tell you, it was a daunting project and I was tense the whole time. Yikes.

I wish I had a picture of the final product: a completely revamped computer which works absolutely wonderfully now! The only problem is that we have three remaining tiny screws...I wonder where they go? Regardless, Andy and I feel extremely accomplished and proud of ourselves for completing a task which probably would have cost us $200+, or a new computer. Hooray for teamwork!

2009

2009-01-08T10:08:00.000-08:00

So I just completed my very first online scrapbook! It's just a few pages, but I'm pretty proud of myself and I had the whole thing made into a calendar for 2009! I'll probably continue to do this since it's a lot less expensive, less time consuming, and less messy than actual scrapbooking. Also, you can print your completed creations in a bound book, it's fabulous! I don't mean to sound like an advertisement for them, I just really think it's cool.

Aspirations

2009-01-05T12:22:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Last month was the season for giving to others and enjoying life's goodness. This month is the season for self reflection and improvement. In other words, I need to get my stinkin' butt in gear and work on some things! Like the rest of you, I've come up with a few things for my New Year's Resolutions. I'm not too embarrassed to share all this because I bet I've already talked to the two people who read my blog about my personal goals for 2009.

1. No pop for the entire year. I used to drink pop rarely, maybe at a party or just for special occassions. Then I married Andy. He drinks pop fairly regularly, and every once in a while I started taking sips of his drinks, and then I got hooked. Before we knew it we were buying pop by the cartload. Well, no more. I am officially off the wagon. Or is it on the wagon?

2. No more fast food. When I was in high school, my cousin Whitney and I made a pact to not eat fast food for the entire year, and if one of us broke the pact we would have to pay the other $100. We both completed the challenge successfully (as far as I know...). I am going to attempt this challenge again, but I still need to come up with a good penalty if I break it.

3. Lose weight with The Biggest Loser. I am an avid fan of The Biggest Loser, and I usually follow each season closely. This time, I won't just be a fan watching from the couch. Instead, I'm going to do my best to work out regularly and lose weight along with the contestants on the show. Although I won't have all the resources and time that the people on the show have, I am committed to doing everything I can to get healthy and take control of my life.

I'm sharing this so it's not just another goal I write down and shove in a drawer. I want to be accountable for all of the claims that I've made about sticking to my goals. Wish me luck!

A Few of My Favorite Things...

2008-12-21T23:22:00.000-08:00

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens

Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens

Brown paper packages tied up with strings

These are a few of my favorite things...

Ok, so those aren't any of my favorite things. In fact, anyone whose favorite thing is a bright copper kettle needs to take a good long look at their life. Seriously though, I have to say that winter is one of the dreariest times of year for me, espeically living in Eastern Idaho with temperatures below zero and snow that never melts. Some of the sunshine that brings light to this season is, of course, Christmas-time. Christmas brings warmth to the coldest season, and helps me remember that life is wonderful. In the spirit of Christmas, I'd like to share a few of my favorite things about this time of year.

The first is a song I came across a few years ago, which has become one of my favorite Christmas songs of all time: I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas. I hope you enjoy!

Christmas at my parent's house just would not be complete without watching one of our favorite Christmas movies of all time: Home Alone. That darn Kevin...

Hot Chocolate is a favorite of mine year-round, but there's something about the Christmas season that permits me to splurge on the expensive gourmet stuff. My drink of choice is Stephen's Hazelnut Hot Chocolate. I highly recommend it :)

And finally, Christmas traditions run deep in my veins, and one of my favorite traditions is running down the stairs on Christmas morning to see what Santa left my siblings and me in our stockings. One of the greatest things about our stockings is that they were made by my mom. Sewing is a dying art, but I hope to be able to carry on the tradition and make stockings for my own husband and (one day) children!

Merry Christmas!

Mrs. A-Z

2008-11-17T20:57:00.000-08:00

A. Attached or Single? Married for 5 months :)

B. Best Friend? Naturally it has become my husband, but I still have a lot of close girl friends and cousins who I would definitely call best friends.

C. Cake or Pie? Cake. Pie is grosser than gross.

D. Day? Thursday. It means Friday is just around the corner, and I'm an anticipation junkie.

E. Essential Item? Phone. It's like I've lost my identity if I don't have it.

F. Favorite color? Sage Green

G. Gummy bears or worms? Worms

H. Hometown? Boise, Idaho

I. Indulgence? El Herradero, the best Mexican place in Poky!

J. January or July? July: barbeques, fireworks, birthdays, vacations...I love it!

K. Kids? Eventually

L. Life is incomplete without? The gospel of Jesus Christ and Andy. Without either of those I would be completely lost.

M. Marriage date? June 21, 2008--The most incredible day of my life thus far.

N. Number of siblings? 3 brothers, 1 brother-in-law, 2 sisters-in-law, and a cornucopia of exchange student siblings.

O. Oranges or Apples? Oranges, most definitely.

P. Phobia or Fears? Being alone, outside, in utter darkness.

Q. Quote? Life isn't about finding yourself, it's about creating yourself. - G. B. Shaw

R. Reason to smile? Whenever the Spirit reassures me that a decision in my life was the right one, especially knowing that I married the right person. Also, the movie HOT ROD.

S. Season? My birthday, wedding anniversary, and a 3 month break from school are all in the summer, so of course summer has a special place in my heart. But I'm lovin' this Holiday Season!

T. Tag? You're it.

U. Unknown fact about me? I'm an open book--it's just a matter of having a question and a willingness to read for the answer.

V. Vegetarian or Oppressor of animal? Nice. Well, I don't really like meat all that much due to overexposure growing up. I will eat it, but I'm a pretty big advocate of organic farming techniques, which include how farmers raise meat and dairy sources. Unfortunately eating this way can get expensive, so I generally opt out of meat and dairy altogether. Unless I'm eating Mexican food. Then all of my nutrition ideals go out the window.

W. Worst Habit? Abrasive sarcasm

X. X-ray or Ultrasound? Niether...

Y. Your favorite food? Anything Mexican

Z. Zodiac? One of the creepiest serial killers I've ever read about, who was never caught (this was seriously my first thought). But I'm a Gemini :)

11 11 1980

2008-11-14T06:55:00.000-08:00

My fabulous husband, Andy, had his 28th birthday on Tuesday! He's been telling me how old he feels so I've been calling him "Gramps" to make him feel better about it :) Anyway, Andy's parents decided to make a trip to Pocatello from Albion and his sister Heather and her daughters Hilaree and Halee came up from Tremonton to celebrate with us! We went to our favorite resaurant, Herredero, and then we planned on going bowling at Tough Guy Lanes. Much to our dismay we discovered that Tough Guy had league night going on (doesn't that always happen?) and so we opted to try this other bowling alley...which we will never do again. First of all, we walk in and one lane out of 16 is filled (which should have been a red flag), so we go up to the counter and ask if we can have a couple of lanes. The surly man behind the counter grumbles about something and reluctantly helps us obtain the necessary bowling shoes and directs us to a lane, peering at us under his furrowed brows the whole time. Ok, not exactly my idea of customer service. A smile may have helped...or it may have been that much creepier. So then we take a seat at the lane we were assigned, and of course the computer thingy (that's a technical term) doesn't work. I wasn't surprised because it looked like this:

It looks pretty ancient, right? An antique bowling alley could be quaint, if run properly and by the right people. Unfortunately, the lack of upkeep and the unfriendly crew just made the place seem stale and unused. Yuck. I caught a shot of Andy's face as the alley maintenance guys worked to repair the machine. His look is in response to everything up to this point: the smell, the service, the broken machine, etc. It was hilarious!

The malfunction was apparently unfixable because they moved us to a different lane, which makes sense since the whole place was empty. It was then that I realized another factor which made this bowling alley seem creepy...there was no music, or any other sense of atmosphere! Of course we enjoyed good company amongst ourselves, but a little ambiance would have been nice. Once we got over the creepiness of this place, we got down to business and bowled like we've never bowled before! Unfortunately for Andy this meant that he wasn't as on top of his game as usual, and the computer messed up his score several times. Here is the birthday boy pouting, and making faces at the score screen:

The rest of us, however, had a pretty good time and I bowled one of my best games ever! This is Andy's sister Heather celebrating the first strike of her game!

Here's Andy's dad Dee giving us a smile after almost picking up a sweet spare on the 10th frame:Our nieces Hilaree (top) and Halee (bottom) were so much fun, we love them! Hil decided on the second game that she wanted to bowl left-handed, and she ended up beating most of us, it was ridiculous! She got a turkey (3 strikes in a row) bowling that way!

Needless to say, Andy did not have the most pleasant bowling experience on his birthday. To make up for it, we went back to our apartment with everyone and ate his favorite dessert: German chocolate cake. This made everything all better :) At the end of the day, it was a fantastic day with good food, great people, and, uh... interesting places.

Nerd Alert

2008-11-08T06:47:00.001-08:00

Something I absolutely enjoy to no end is reading. Throughout my life I have read several amazing books, and a good amount of not so great books. As a Secondary English Teaching major, I am constantly reading either for school or for pleasure. My classes this semester have given me an abundant selection of books to add to my growing home library, with a newfound respect for their contents. I figured I would give you insight into my daily activities by occasionally posting a personal review of the books I read, as I deem them worthy of such an honor :) You didn't know how much of a nerd I really am, did you?

Ruth Hall

by Fanny Fern

This is Fanny Fern's first finished novel, and is semi-autobiographical, which I find fascinating. The short novel (272 pages) was first published in 1855, when it became almost an instant best seller. The protagonist, Ruth Hall, is a unique woman of this era, who shatters social expectations and experiences ridicule from family and supposed friends. She suffers tragedy and finds herself alone with two small children and no means of support whatsoever, with a family who refuses to acknowledge her need. In these circumstances, many sacrifices are made as Ruth struggles to find a way to support her starving family. While there is much heartache, there is plenty of humor along the way as Ruth seeks joy for her family in the lot they've been given.

I found the novel to be heart-wrenching, well written, and very real. Fanny Fern is not a fluffy writer, she will tell you exactly how it is. The novel moves quickly, leaving much for the reader's interpretation, which I think greatly adds to the reading experience. Stylisticly, Fern does some incredible things with the narration of the story, pay attention to how the narrator becomes a character in the novel, addresses characters, and draws the reader in.

The author Nathaniel Hawthorne was a harsh critic of the up and coming female authors of this era, and he rarely found anything good about any of them, calling their works repetitive, unoriginal trash. This is what he said upon reading Fern's Ruth Hall:

"In my last, I recollect, I bestowed some vituperation on female authors. I have been reading Ruth Hall and I must say I enjoyed it a good deal. The woman writes as if the devil was in her; and that is the only condition under which a woman ever writes anything worth reading. Generally women write like emasculated men, and are only to be distinguished from male authors by greater feebleness and folly; but when they throw off the restraints of decency, and come before the public stark naked, as it were--then their books are sure to possess character and value. Can you tell me anything about this Fanny Fern? If you meet her, I wish you would let her know how much I admire her."

Yikes.

2008-10-27T20:20:00.000-07:00

All right everyone, I advise you to brace yourself for what may follow. Andy and I took an adventerous trip to Boise this last weekend, and it was a blast! Friday night I went to a baby shower for my cousin Kathryn which was so much fun--I wish I had pictures to post of it! Then on Saturday we went to a Halloween party that my sister-in-law Emily's parents hosted. Andy and I had been trying to think of fun costumes for a couple of weeks--to no avail. Then when we got to Boise we decided that Andy should be Buckethead (a sweet guitarist whom you should look up on Youtube if you aren't familiar...) and we still could not think of an idea for me. Then I remembered a set of fake theatre cigarettes which really emit puffs of "smoke" (powder) that I got in high school with my friend Emily (not my sister-in-law) because we're cool like that. Naturally, I decided to be a smoker...you know, that ridiculous woman down the street who lives alone in an apartment that smells like cat pee, wears gaudy jewelry, and puts on too much makeup. I think it suits me.

My brother Kelly and his son Gideon as the lion tamer and the lion. Can it get better?

My mom is adorable and basically went as an African tribal woman...duh, right?

Dad enjoying the festivities, as usual.

A close-up of the terrifying lion, Giddy!
My brother Rod with a mouthful of doughnut. Err, I mean the fearless Batman enjoying a snack to refuel before continuing to fight crime and save lives. They're both synonymous, really.

Here's proof that we spent some normal time with family. This is Andy with his favorite little girl (our niece), Sophie.

Our nephew Hayden being shy, it is too cute when he's bashful.

However, when he's wearing Sophie's underpants on his head, we can snap pictures of it all day long and he barely notices...silly.

We had planned on coming home early Monday morning because Andy didn't have to work that morning and I had a later class that day...until we received a dreadful text message from Andy's boss Sunday night explaining that they really needed him for work in the morning (at 5:30am) after all. So we hopped in the car and headed home around 9pm, much to our chagrin. This is Andy's sad/tired face.

A Change is Needed

2008-10-10T07:18:00.000-07:00

Andy and I have tried to become more aware of our political surroundings lately. We don't want to be fools and we don't want to be duped into voting a certain way. A few weeks ago in Sacrament Meeting our bishop read a letter from the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which did not persuade us to vote a certain way, but which invited us to consider our standards and morals and to vote for someone who follows those as closely as possible. I've really been having a hard time deciding who should get my support, according to this guideline and according to my personal standards. Obama and Biden, or McCain and Palin? Neither pair has impressed me.

Perhaps my vote will not go to either of those candidates. I feel that I should vote for someone I really support, someone who deserves my vote. We need a return to the Constitution of the United States. If you have the time, take a look at the video I've posted below. It gives a brief overview of what Congressman Ron Paul stands for. He is honest, and he recognizes the crises that the United States faces right now. He may not be a front-runner, but I agree with what he stands for. I will not sacrifice my integrity to support a candidate that is merely popular.

Haunted Mansions of Albion

2008-10-07T08:14:00.000-07:00

Andy and I went to the Haunted Mansions of Albion, and it was fantastic. We highly recommend it, but not for kids under 10. I was scared out of my mind the whole time.

...Spooky, Scary...

2008-10-07T07:17:00.000-07:00

It's finally October--just about our favorite month out of the year (June might beat it)! The weather is definitely cooling off which means that a snowball of Holidays is on the way! Halloween has got to be one of our very favorite holidays. We love all the ridiculous costumes and the fun parties! This past weekend we went to Albion, Idaho where most of Andy's family lives. One of our nephews, Hazen, was celebrating his first birthday, and we couldn't wait to see everyone!

This is our niece Brigham with her little brother Porter (he's being scary..)

Our niece Ciara works at the "Haunted Masions of Albion" on the abandoned college campus there. Andy and I went to it on Saturday night with his sister Heather and her daughter Hilaree. It was so well done and soo scary. One of us actually peed our pants...I won't disclose who it was. So this is Ciara working her mask at the birthday party. Yikes.

In the Yeaman family it is tradition to make a "smash cake" and then a real cake for the first birthday. The "smash cake" is specifically for the birthday boy or girl to tear apart and dig into! This is a neat tradition that I had never thought of before, but it is so much fun to watch!

The crowd gathered around to watch Hazen destroy his "smash cake".

And this is the after-shot. He was a little hesitant at first, but as you can see, he got over it.

Presents!!

We absolutely love spending time with our Albion family, everyone is so warm and welcoming, we always have a good time. I have to say I am enjoying being an aunt to all of these adorable nieces and nephews, it is so fun to see them grow up and to be a part of their lives.

The Dark Knight Spoof

2008-09-23T14:46:00.000-07:00

This video was shown to us by my cousin Jordan and we almost peed our pants. Although you might not have the same reaction, I think it's an enjoyable few minutes, and I can't count the times that we've watched it.

Little Bunnies Frew Frew...

2008-09-22T21:05:00.001-07:00

Recently Andy and I took a trip up to Boise to visit friends and family. It was a wonderful trip, we were so happy to be able to spend time with some of the people we love most! Here are some family pictures we took while everyone was together--it is so much fun to see our family grow. The last family pictures we took were just over two years ago, and since then we've grown by two spouses (Matt's wife Amber, and my husband Andy) and three grandchildren: Hayden, Gideon, and Sophie! Andy and I definitely miss Boise sometimes, so we do our best to visit often.

The Frews

Emily, Gideon, & Kelly

Amber, Matt, Sophie, & Hayden

The Proud Grandparents

Uncle Rod with Gideon, Sophie, & Hayden

Giddy

2008-09-15T06:53:00.000-07:00

Here's a video my brother Kelly put together about his son's first few months of life. It's beautiful, and we love our nephew Gideon (and all of our other nieces and nephews, too).

Smooth Transition

2008-09-03T08:12:00.000-07:00

Well, Andy and I have been married for just over two months now, and we're doing awesome! Our wedding day was incredible, there is no way I could blog about it all. We both received our endowments on June 21st at 11am, and then we were sealed for time and all eternity at 1pm that day! It was the perfect schedule for us, we wouldn't have done it any other way. And since our reception took place the night before our actual wedding day, we were able to leave on our honeymoon straight from the temple!

We spent most of our honeymoon (a week) in Salt Lake City, and had great experiences attending the temple, going through the Church History Museum, and seeing the other sights of Salt Lake. We were able to attend the sealing of Cory and Brock Johanson to their baby Peyton. It was just a special experience, and we were grateful to be a part of it. We drug our feet coming home, but we were excited to organize our little apartment and get everything squared away!

On July 12th we had a second reception in Albion, Idaho at the old Albion Normal School grounds. It was absolutely beautiful, and it was so much fun to see everyone from the eastern side of Idaho! Andy's sisters and mom did 100% of the planning for this reception (which I was more than grateful for), Andy and I basically just showed up and had a blast! The food was amazing, all made by the Yeaman women, and the decorations were adorable!

Words Without Thoughts

2008-07-29T08:50:00.000-07:00

I decided to post this survey because 1) I'm a sucker for surveys and 2) I'm bored at work...which will probably be the reason for this blog's continuance.

LOVEY DOVEY (about you and your husband)

What is your husband’s name?
Andrew Scot Yeaman

How long have you been together?
It will be two years August 15!

How long did you date?
It was one year and ten months before we got married!

Who eats more?
We actually eat about the same amount...he's just blessed with a metabolism of gold. Pure gold.

Who said I love you first?
Andy did, only one week after we started dating...but I loved him too!

Who is taller?
We are really close in height, but he beats me by one inch.

Who has more speeding tickets?
Andy has had two, I think, and I have had none. :)

Who is smarter?
My pride says it's me, but Andy is seriously one of the most intelligent people I've ever known. He makes me feel like a fool sometimes (not on purpose, of course).

Who is more sensitive?
This is an interesting question...we are both sensitive at certain times. Andy has a very tender heart, especially when it comes to the gospel and his family. I am sensitive about those things too, but I'm also irrational sometimes and get offended when I shouldn't.

Who does the laundry?
He does, actually. We use the washer and dryer in the basement of our apartment building, and most of the time I'm too scared to go down there by myself, but Andy is brave. :) My knight clad with Tide and a hamper. :)

Who does the dishes?
We have a pretty sweet system where one of us washes, and the other one dries, and sometimes we trade jobs...groundbreaking, I know.

Who sleeps on the right?
Andy does, from the perspective of laying in the bed.

Who pays the bills?
I make sure the power, phone, and internet bills get paid, while Andy keeps tabs on the car payment, insurance, and any other expenses we might have at the time.

Who mows the lawn?
What is this, "the lawn"?

Who cooks dinner?
We almost always cook together. Last night it was a fantastic batch of Mexican Casserole and homemade tortillas! Yum!

Who drives when you are together?
When we were dating, we took turns based on whose car we were taking. Now the only car we have is Andy's, and I've actually never driven it. Not because he won't let me, I just don't really like to drive!

Who is more stubborn?
We're both pretty stubborn if we have really strong opposing opinions, but this rarely happens. Otherwise, it's Andy, hands down. He once read 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea out of spite.

Who asked who out first?
Andy asked, with a little prodding from me.

Who proposed?
Andy did.

Who has more siblings?
We both have the same amount of siblings--three. He has two older sisters and an older brother, and I have two older brothers, and one younger brother.

I doubt any of you will actually read through that, but it was fun to fill out--sorry if we're boring!

Phase Two

2008-07-29T06:42:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone! Wow, it has been so long since I've blogged, and I'm sure all the people who watch my blog vigilantly are on the edge of their seats and dying for an update.

Before I bombard the blog with wedding pictures and stories, I wanted to post a little bit about the wonderful pre-wedding events! I was graciously thrown two bridal showers which were both so much fun! I appreciate and am in awe of all of the work and effort that went into make those days special in and of themselves. The first bridal shower took place on the 22nd of May in Boise, at the home of Diane Day. I used to babysit her children nearly every weekend when I was in middle school and high school, and she has since become a great friend. It was an open-house style bridal shower, and it was just fun to mingle and see everyone in Boise! The second bridal shower was on the 31st of May in Pocatello at Mystique Theatre, which brings me to explaining these pictures.

The shower was given by my first cousin once removed, Melanie, her daughter Kimberly, and a long-time friend of the family, Lori Bair. It was a beautiful traditional shower, with lots of fun games and delicious food! Right when I walked in the door of Mystique, this beautiful quilt was in the doorway. At first I thought it was just a cute decoration, but after a second look, I realized that there was a bride and a groom on the quilt, with Andy's and my name underneath! It is the most adorable quilt I've ever seen, and I'm in awe that we have friends that think enough of us to make a quilt in our honor! I can't imagine how much time went into this quilt, and I only hope to be able to deserve it one day, or pay Lori back somehow. We love her and we love all of the amazing gifts we received at the showers!

In the time between the first and second bridal showers, Andy and I had our engagement pictures taken by my wonderfully talented and under-appreciated brother, Kelly. He also composed the wedding invitation, which we absolutely loved. Kelly's beautiful wife, Emily came along and gave great ideas, encouragement, and moral support. She was quick to share her opinion, especially when it was something she liked. We really want to thank them for all of their help with our wedding, we would be lost without them!

After the invitations were finished, we had the lovely task of sending them out to our friends and family! This seemed to be a little too much for Andy and me to handle on our own, so we called in the help of a willing bridesmaid and some great friends: Emily Cardenas, Katie Bowers, Karen Smith (who didn't even know me personally, but was still willing to help--thank you!), and Emily Holloway. It was a fun night of The Office, and stuffing envelopes. Andy and I put them in the mail the very next day, and our loved ones received the good news shortly thereafter!

How we met...

2008-04-07T13:15:00.000-07:00

Here's our story (from Amanda's point of view...)

I was in Boise for the summer of 2006 before going off to school at BYU-Idaho in Rexburg, and I had to earn money for college. I found a job at a Directv call center taking inbound calls for the satellite service, and it was the worst job I've ever had (I really struggled with having to deal with irate customers--go figure) so I was looking around for other places I might be able to work. In high school I had worked on and off for Henneman Distributing Inc. (HDI) where my older brother Matt also worked, and I asked them if I might be able to come back for about a month before I had to leave for school in September. They agreed, and I happily quit my job at Directv :) Unfortunately, just after quitting my brother called me up and said that HDI wouldn't need me for a while, but he would call and let me know when I could start coming in. Shoot. I really needed to keep earning money, and I wasn't sure what I was going to do.

Fortunately, a temp agency I had given my name to at the beginning of the summer called me the day after I quit at Directv (completely out of the blue, I hadn't heard from them all summer) and asked if I wanted to wash cars at Bronco Motors. I didn't have any better offers, so I went in. My temporary boss, Jeff Baker, introduced me to the "crew" which included a man named Andy who was involved with car detailing and getting cars ready for sale. I was immediately intrigued by him. He was cute, and we talked easily with one another right off the bat. We had a similar sense of humor and he wasn't afraid to let me know he was interested in me. I was going to leave for school in about three weeks and I had no intentions of tying myself down, but I decided I might as well have a little fling before taking off.

Andy asked me out to lunch on the third day I washed cars at Bronco Motors. He let me pick where to go, and I chose Subway. After ordering our sandwiches we sat down and my phone rang. It was my brother letting me know that I could come in to HDI the next day for work and that they could use me for the rest of the summer. No problem, I actually hated washing cars all day and the pay wasn't great. The only reason I stayed was to see Andy :) So I worked the days of my last two weeks of the summer at HDI, and I spent every evening in Andy's company. What I thought would be a little summer fling turned into much more...

There's more to the story, but you get the idea. A year and a half later, on March 1st, 2008 he proposed and I accepted. I don't believe we met and fell in love by accident. We've been through quite a journey together and we're excited to continue it!

We're getting married!

2008-04-07T12:27:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone, we thought we'd join in on the bloggin' craze, so we hope you enjoy!

We're not quite Amanda and Andy Yeaman yet, but we will be as of June 21st, 2008! Are you as excited as we are? All of the wedding planning is going great, everything has been pretty smooth so far (knock on wood...), and we're just excited to celebrate! We're getting married on Saturday June 21st in the Boise, Idaho LDS temple, but we have a reception scheduled for the night before, June 20th. This night-before reception has caused a little bit of controversy, but at the end of the day we're sticking with it and we're really glad. It will actually give us an opportunity to enjoy our reception, it won't be rushed and we'll be able to have fun and stay as long as we want! More importantly, we want Saturday to be devoted to the temple without any other distractions or worries, because that's what we really care about.

We are so blessed to have found one another and we look forward to a wonderful and fulfilling life together. We'll keep you up to date on our family milestones and we're excited to keep in touch with our friends and family--even if it is just a peek at their blog!