ULTIMATUM

We went hiking with our Shlect friends.

And here's the awkward shot of the Ashmores. 
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Before it was taken, I warned Andrew NOT to make a goofy face. So instead, my obedient husband attempted a normal smile. 

I suppose it was better than this picture...one I'm sure you remember.

Or this one. 

Or this. 

Or this. 

I could keep going all day, but I think you get the idea. 

But anyway, Andrew's inability to be normal in front of a camera is not the point. 

It's about the Schlect's moving. And the fact that too many of our friends in the past have done so before them. 

I've decided it's not allowed anymore! No more graduating college and leaving for jobs several states away! I mean, why is everyone so anxious to leave this quaint town...without Super Wal-Marts, shopping malls, or things to do after 10pm? 

Don't answer that. 

Where else can you get such beautiful, wide-open views and have so many fun things to do outside? It was raining by the time we reached the summit. From there, we watched an incredible electrical storm...until we decided it probably wasn't smart to stand up there like human lightning rods. So we headed home. 

It was a grand, last hurrah, with the last of our friends allowed to move away from this place.  

p.s. please ignore that my last line slightly hints of psycho, serial killer tendencies. thanks.

THANKFUL THURSDAY-- Tie a Bow Around it

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"Your life with Andrew sounds so cute I could tie a bow around it. You guys sound so happy and it sounds like you take time out to have fun – that’s good! I am SO HAPPY for you two!! It makes me smile reading all about your life I can just picture it – I’m glad you decided to change your mind [about a mission]and marry Andrew!"


This excerpt comes from an old e-mail I received from an old friend. I hadn't been trying to paint my life to sound overly sunny and rose-colored.  We were just catching up on what the other has been up to lately. I just listed the basic facts. 


But I think about her statement a lot...that image of tying a bow around my life with Andrew. We really do have a blessed life. And I bet you do too. 


It's just that sometimes, I forget...or get distracted by what's difficult, so that I can't see what's good. I need to stop existing on survival mode and really enjoy these good times. 

• Sickeningly in love with my man
• The good news of the Gospel
• Jobs with regular paychecks
• Working vehicles
• Our cozy house
• Health
• Money to spend on luxuries like date nights
• Church service
• Education
• Family
• Friends
• Freedom and peace

Yep. Cute enough to tie a bow around...top with a cherry, and eat with a spoon!

OUR FIRST

We have never hosted a Thanksgiving meal before, that the preparations weren't carefully supervised by a more experienced mother figure. This time we were on our own. There was no one to ask how to roll out a pie crust, to share the best fruit salad recipe, or provide reassurance that the turkey is in fact, cooked through.

Okay. I got it into the pan. Now what?

We tag teamed the pie. Andrew handled the filling while I conquered the crust. Ready to bake!

Our makeshift place settings. We took our tiny kitchen table built for two, pushed it up against our skinny hall table, and covered it with a spare window curtain. We didn't have enough matching place mats for our three guests, so I just went with the mismatched look. Not only the place mats were different, but so were the chairs, and all of the dishes. Apparently, we're not set up very well to entertain.
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And I'm still wondering why I took a picture of the table...and not the people.
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But we enjoyed a lovely meal with belching Becca, her Canadian roommate, and Andrew's crippled Canadian business partner (ha!). Then we played card games, ate pie, and kicked our friends out, so we could hit the icy road. We were off to Utah for the next day's Thanksgiving dinner!

(The camera doesn't capture it, but imagine a whirling blizzard out that window.)

Halloween--FOCAL POINT FRIDAY

BEST:

Halloween. We carved pumpkins with friends yesterday. This is the back of Andrew's. 

Andrew's black widow and my gnarled old tree. 

My Halloween costume at the school's festivities. Throughout the day, my kiddos called me a gangsta, a boy, and a rapper. But I was supposed to be a student. See the backpack?

 ...the wildly popular, silly-shaped bracelets?

...and this T-shirt I found at the Deseret Industries Thrift Store last night?

I was a STUDENT...modeled privately after the large handful of rowdy boys I have been blessed with this year. *ahem*

I do so adore dressing up for Halloween. (You might remember last year's costume from THIS POST.) But I have come to the conclusion that guy's baggy styles far outweigh the heels and skirts of the fairer sex. It was like wearing pajamas all day long, I tell you!





WORST:

I was looking for something to watch on Netflix while I graded a mountain of tests, and chose a documentary on stress. Why I chose such a topic, I'm not sure. Maybe it's because it is my normal, constant state of being. The emotion feels comfortable. Homelike. Oddly enough, stressed is the only way I feel content. When I'm not stressed, I begin to get stressed that there's something I should be stressing about.

But  after watching this documentary and seeing what stress does to the human body (clogged arteries, weakened heart, weight gain, a haywire reproductive system, ulcers, headaches, lack of self control, depression, weakened immune system, dead brain cells, loss of memory, and loss of ability to learn new concepts), I concluded that I will probably die in the next 10-20 years. It was stressful just learning about stress!

And I'm sure it didn't help that I spent the week very conscious of my stress level and imagining its effects on my quickly deteriorating body. 

Some old pictures brought me back to some good times with an old friend.

Has it ever been obvious that you were supposed to have known someone? Jess and I were thrown together so much when I moved to Rexburg that it was obviously so: same ward, FHE sisters, serving in the same Relief Society Presidency, same early morning janitorial job, and eventually roommates for a year.

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She had a huge impact on my single college years. HUGE. But this may have something to do with the type of person she is, because I suspect she has had a huge impact on A LOT of people.

That's Jessica among some of my other good-hearted roommates.




Mostly, I was remembering the spring break that Jessica took pity on my lack of plans for the week, and invited me to go home with her. Her family opened their arms to their daughter's shy, awkward roommate.

It felt like treading on sacred ground to be welcomed into the life Jess was so passionate about: meeting her parents and siblings, exploring her beloved home nestled in the rocky hills of Wyoming, walking through the family business and sensing the saturation of hard work, sacrifice, and pride attached to it, and watching her lovingly play the grand piano in the living room. Especially when witnessing especially personal events, like visiting the grave sites of her two little brothers, witnessing the desperate love her father has for his family, and visiting with a beloved grandmother literally on her deathbed.

What a trip it was! All the love, laughter, and tears made a significant impression on me.

At one point in the visit, her little brother wanted to embark on a hike near their home. I will never until my dieing day forget that hike.

I had been on hikes with Jessica before. Hikes that included some form of hyperventilation.

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I'm the take-my-time-and-admire-every-rock-view-and-creature-along-the-way type of gal. She is more of the I-will-CONQUER-this-mountain-immediately-or-die-trying! kinda gal.


I reckon that describes Jessica's take on life in a nuthsell.

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But a hike with her little brother? It wouldn't be so bad, right?

*snort*

Jess proceeded to conquer the landscape in earnest, as I expected. But the little guy who was supposed to keep me company during his sister's endeavor, conquered the terrain with a furor unmatched even by Jessica. And then there was the dog. The dog who did not stop RUNNING the entire trek.

The comical image our line made as we marched across those hills is all that kept me going 'til the end: Galloping dog, followed by rugged, energetic boy, followed by fiercely determined young woman, followed by panting, desperately-trying-to-appear zealous roommate.

Otherwise, I may not have made it. But I did. And we were able to return to Rexburg as friends. =)



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{Jess and Amy J--honorary roommate extraordinaire--whose guts I love}

Back in our little brick house in small-town Idaho, Jess eventually found her George...er John...and moved ironically, to my home ward in Gilbert, Arizona. At about the same time, I found my George...er...Andrew...and moved back up to Rexburg. But despite our moving on, this friend has permanently changed me for the better.
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So anyway, I was just rememberin'...

Jess and her crazy, mature, playful, grown-up, alarmingly intense, youthful, focused, story-tellin', sincere, sweetheart of a self.

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DERNIT ALL...

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.... Our friends keep moving. First all my old roommates, then the Johnsons, then the Blevins, then the Hayashis, and now the Grimmers. They were some of our bestest buds ever.
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First, they decided to move out of our ward. This did not make us happy, but we could handle it, because it was only on the other side of town. And they were buying a house which was good news: the Grimmers would be sticking around for a LONG time. Or so we thought. Then, the little stinkers up and decide to move again to Washington of all places...way too far for a a Friday night movie date. This is unacceptable.
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So what if you're going to be close to family? So what if Jared got this amazing teaching job that includes the head boys basketball coaching position at his old high school? So what if this is the opportunity of a lifetime? What about US?
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Okay, fine. I'll stop throwing my tantrum now. We really are happy for those guys. Really.
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I think.
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We'll just miss seeing them any 'ol time we want to: exercising, taking the dogs out, playing tennis, watching The Superbowl, cooking tin foil dinners...

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playing board games, watching movies, decorating gingerbread houses, babysitting their little ones...

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It's all very sad. Here we are saying goodbye to Marley and Ashlyn. We wanted to keep the kids...but Jared and Amanda said no.

It's not like they couldn't come visit them once in awhile.

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Good luck you meanie head stinkin' Grimmers you! We love ya, anyway.

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Love,

your abandoned pals

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LOVE THE BLOG

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*The Koivisto Blog Header

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So, I want to pass on another favorite blog of mine. (Why not pass on a good thing?) See that guy up there? That is Jyri. He is an old friend/FHE brother from 4-5 years ago. His lovely wife, Katie, is seated next to him. I only met her once...briefly at an Albertson's grocery store back when they were engaged...an event, I'm guessing, she has no recollection of.
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However, I have been following their blog for a few months now, and I love it. Let me share why:

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1. Jyri is from Finland. Katie is from Kansas. They recently graduated college in Idaho before moving across the world to Finland, where they are pregnant with their first. I am drawn by the interesting and often humorous perplexities that arise as a result of their very different cultures. (You should read the post about picking a baby name. American or Finnish?)

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2. Every post title is written in English and Finnish. It's a fun, creative way to see the progress Katie is making with the new language.

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3. The thought of being a new, young wife, pregnant with my first baby, and living across the ocean from everything familiar is so terrifying, that her confidence and good humor captivate me. It's like those extreme sports videos on YouTube. No matter how horrifying the content matter is to the fear center of my brain, I can't look away. Her bravery is the coolest.

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4. Katie is a good writer. Funny, clever, and honest. Plus, I really am a fan of short, sweet, and to the point.

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5. Her daily problems and experiences are so different from my own...and yet somehow, so similar. It's fun to peek into the life of a woman living through the same stage of life as me...yet on the opposite side of the planet.

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Intrigued? Go check it out HERE. Hope you enjoy!

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ON THE WAY HOME

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After our Ferndale adventures, we jumped in the car and commenced our journey home...Andrew, don't look so sad. It's only a thirteen hour drive...
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Accompanied by Andrew's brother....Sup, Ryan. Sweet shades, by the way...
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And Andrew's brother, Lane....You can't make me smile....
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...Leaving behind the beautiful, snow-capped Mount Baker.
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After two hours on the road, we were rewarded with a view of Seattle. All I could think about though was Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, and a fancy, little house boat.
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But we stopped at a beautiful, ocean front park to eat lunch...
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And meet up with our Blevins buddies! They were kind enough to ferry across from Vashon Island to spend an hour with us. And bring along a ten-course meal! We couldn't believe all they spread on that picnic table to share!
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We sure love them. Hopefully next time, we'll have more time to spend with 'em.
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While we were there, Andrew couldn't resist the miniature zipline. He wanted to do it Superman style, but decided against it when a bunch of little kids showed up to watch.

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Wimp.

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After our visit came the driving-all-day-and-night-back-to-Idaho part. It had the potential to be mind-numbingly boring. But somehow, it became one of my favorite parts of the trip.

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We played every car game known to man: Alphabet Game, Twenty Questions, Rhyming Game, I'm Going on a Trip, Fortunately-Unfortunately...

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Several of these games had me laughing so hard!
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These two guys were extremely entertaining

...whether they knew it or not.

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While playing a game in the back:

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Don't put your elbow there...it's in the way.

Can I put it here?

No.

Well, you can't put your elbow there either!

Fine! Neither of us will put our elbow there!

Fine!

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I think that's about how it went down.

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Then it turned in to the wee hours of the morning, and I slept. Somewhere in the middle of the dark, empty state of Montana, I woke up to Lane and Ryan beginning a game in the front seat:

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Lane:

I spy with my little eye, something that is...

{pause}

...Something that is....

{pause}

Never mind. You can't see anything out here.
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I smiled before drifting back to sleep.
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After rolling in to quiet Rexburg, we collapsed into our beds. But not before Andrew took a picture of Lane and Ryan , who from the looks of it (who must have been really out of it), are snuggling on one side of the bed.

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Nothing like brotherly love.
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The next morning, I got up to go to work, while the guys slept the day away.

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Jerks.

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But they did come together that night to create a fabulous Japanese dinner! Yakisoba and gyoza. Mmmm....
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We were sad to see them go.

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SNOWMOBILE

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We had never been on one before this weekend. It's an experience all Idahoans need to have to truly experience the extent of an Idaho winter. Quite honestly, it felt exactly like riding four-wheelers or wave runners (sports we Arizonians, are a bit more familiar with)--just a whole heck of a lot colder. And from the other side of my goggles, our red, sporty snow machine, and my new red coat, were spoiled by a horrible orange tint from my perspective for the extent of the afternoon.

{What? I really hate orange, okay?}

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Also, we were on a double date with my little sister. Weird is the only word to describe it. Last I looked, she was 12-years old. How did she get to be twenty-two?And why do we feel the inexplicable urge to set everyone up on blind dates? From past dating experience, I am very much aware of how horrible they tend to be.

Luckily, it wasn't nearly as awkward as I expected. And our friend Jesse, showed us all a good time.

{That's Becca and him below}

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And that's Andrew and me looking like we

just escaped from a science fiction film.

{...Luke, I am your father!...}

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But I have to say, the setting was sure incredible. As we climbed higher in elevation, it began to snow softly. It was simply magical...

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Some of the magic must have rubbed off on Andrew,

because he was flying over all sorts of crazy jumps.

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{Jesse, Becca, and I}

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Check out those beautiful mountains behind me!

{and the windburn on my cheeks! brrr...}

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Hooray for outdoor adventures!

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