Cray-Cray

Okay, so I never actually talk like that.  But it is actually a pretty accurate description of the past few weeks.  

Moving was not something I particularly wanted to do, but thanks to a few great people, it has been awesome!  Meet two of the craziest and most delightful people in the world:  Haley and Karen.

Haley and Karen

 If you had told me years ago that I would live with Haley, I would have scoffed.  I can't tell you how grateful I am that I'm living with her this summer, though.  She and Karen made sure that we made friends in this ward real, real fast.  We had a game and hot chocolate night the first Saturday we were down here (before we even went to church) that they invited everyone they knew was in our ward to.  It turned out super fun and we made friends with quite a few people that night. 

These girls keep me laughing, like all the time.  They're always doing something weird and totally not afraid to be themselves.  They're both completely gorgeous but can manage to pull the ugliest faces.  

Haley

Karen

They're both dramatic and just plain weird.  Haley loves to make up songs, Karen loves to dance like a crazy, and both of them just love to laugh.  I don't really even have words to describe how our apartment is now.  We stay up WAY later than we should, eat good food, watch a lot of movies, listen to a lot of music, have frequent dance parties, and just have a ton of fun.  

We have an apartment song:  "Call Me Maybe."

Seriously, now I only have to walk into the apartment to have it start playing in my head.  At first I wasn't the biggest fan, but it is growing on me.  Mostly just because of the memories already associated with it.  Nothing beats a dance party in the living room (or car) to this song.  

To keep my life a little more sane, I've got Anne.

I don't know what I'd do without this girl.  She's always willing to be crazy with us when necessary, but she's also always there for a good long conversation on whether it is possible to think something that you don't have words in your language to speak that describe it (yes, we had that conversation a few nights ago).  She has her head on so straight it's insane sometimes.  She and I are so alike when it comes to a lot of things, so when I don't want to be around "people", Anne is the perfect person to be with.  Cause she usually feels the same way.  I won't call her perfect (cause I'm not allowed to), so instead, I just say she would be if she wasn't such a snob (that was for you, Anne).

Emily Anne

Emily is our honorary roommate.  Alexis is our actual other roommate, but she's always with her boyfriend.  Emily's the greatest person in the world to watch movies with.  She has the best laugh and she laughs out loud at everything she thinks is funny.  Plus, she loves movies, so she can probably quote the majority of any movie you watch with her.  Emily's like all the rest of us meshed into one person.  No wonder she gets along so well with us!

This summer has already beat out last summer when it comes to adventures, by FAR.  And it's just started! 

P.S. The "Cray-Cray" is courtesy of Karen.  She likes to say things like that jokingly/to bug me.  Mostly it just makes me laugh.

Apparently I was wrong

I became good friends with a guy in my ward because he was in one of my classes Fall semester.  Since I ended up TAing for that class the next semester, we often talked about it.  During one such conversation, he asked me if I was a better TA than the guy I'd replaced (he wasn't exactly impressed with that particular TA).  I, of course, said I certain hoped so.  After teasing me that he wasn't so sure, the conversation went like this:

Me: No really, I try really hard to be good.  I spent three hours reviewing with a few kids for the first test.  And now one of them comes in once a week to go over what was discussed in lecture to make sure he understands it.

Him: Nah, that's just cause he likes you.

Me: He does not!  He just switched majors and is sort of freaking out, and I'm just the TA that has the most time.

Him: Nope, he definitely likes you.

I was so sure he was wrong.  But apparently I was the one who was wrong.  

Yesterday during the break in one of my classes, I was talking to a girl who had been in this particular student's group and she told me he had in fact liked me.  Luckily he never tried to act on it.  Wow, that would have been awkward.

Looking back I guess I should have seen it.  But excuse me for wanting to believe that a) I'm actually a good TA and b) that it is possible for boys and girls to be talk to each other without some ulterior motive! Geez!

(P.S. The guy in my ward was delighted to hear he was right. But I can't be mad because he didn't gloat as much as I would have if the situation had been reversed.) 

Spencer and Amy

Alright, so I'm a couple of days late with this one, but it still seems like appropriate timing.

Fall 2011

Amy and Spencer celebrated their 7 year anniversary on Sunday.  Yep, 7 years.  I still can't quite believe it.  In some ways, it feels like they just got married yesterday, but at the same time, I have a hard time picturing what life was like before Amy came into our family.

Their engagement picture. Look how little they are!

Spencer is my oldest brother and consequently, I don't have tons of memories with him from before his mission.  I have some of him in high school (mostly me being afraid of him after soccer games because he always seemed to come home in a bad mood, even if they won), but pretty much none from before his sophomore year.  I am told we were best buds, though.  Spencer loved to stay up late with me when I was a baby, but mostly because it meant he actually got to stay up late.  I do remember him letting me play orthodontist on him though (yes, orthodontist, not dentist).

It wasn't until we both got older that we really became friends though.  The age gap tends to shrink once you reach a certain age and it is still one of my favorite things to just sit up late and talk to my siblings and their spouses.  And, since I came to college and became a psychology major, Spence and I seem to have a lot more in common.  (Sidenote: Spence is one of the reasons I decided to major in psychology.  I just remember proofreading his papers and seeing the books he brought home and realizing that it all seemed super interesting to me.)

Spencer is one of the most hard working people you'll ever meet.  From the very beginning of their marriage, Spencer took his responsibilities as a husband (and later father) very seriously.  He is so willing to sacrifice things for his family, sleep especially.  I asked him once if you ever get use to being tired all of the time and he said no, yet he deals with it everyday.  He reminds me a lot of my dad, like how he refuses to buy new clothes because the ones he wore in high school still fit.  And how he is such a cute dad to his little ones.  You can almost see his heart melt when he looks down at his darling little kids (less so when they're being naughty).

Spence and Max, Fall 2011

Spencer tries to act tough, but he is literally the world's biggest softy.  He use to get teary just watching the PREVIEWS for new episodes of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.  But, really, that is one of the things that makes him such a good counselor, coach, father, brother, son, husband, and friend.  

He is the most fanatical about sports of anyone in our family.  It's highly entertaining to watch him watch an intense game.  Watching anything on TV is more fun with Spencer, actually, because he thinks everything is so darn funny.  And he has quite the infectious laugh.  

Poor Amy had to be the first person to "meet the family."  That can't have been an easy thing (although maybe it would have been easier if Spencer had given everyone involved a little more warning).  But she handled it like a champ.  

Amy is just the greatest mom.  Seriously.  I'm thinking of making a sash for her for Mother's Day that says "Baby Whisperer" on it because she honestly has a gift with babies.  I've told her that I might just bring my kids to her to have her train them for me, because all babies love her and do what she tells them to.  We knew she was good with her own kids, but when she tended Daxton it became apparent that it applies to all kids.  Daxton would get a big grin on his face when he saw his favorite aunt Amy, despite the fact that she never let him out of his mummy wrapping at nap time.  

Amy's so cute with her kids and they just love her!  When she was away at Women's Conference for the weekend, they missed her so much (even if Lyla did keep telling people that their mom would be back in a few years)!  I especially love watching Max with his mom.  No one loves her like he does.  He is definitely a mama's boy.  Amy has done such a good job of trying to teach her kids all of the things they need to know.  I'm amazed at how smart and well behaved all of them (yes, Amy, they're well behaved).  Earlier, I talked about how much I admire the stay-at-home moms I know.  After my own mom, Amy is at the top of that list.  She blows me away everyday with the things she is able to do and the strength she shows no matter what.

At first, I didn't realize how soft hearted Amy was.  But in the past few years it has become more and more apparent.  I think having kids does that to everyone a little.  I think it is one of the most beautiful things in the world when she gets choked up when she talks about how much she loves her kids and how much she loves being a mother.  I know she hates it, but I love it!  When she sets her mind to something, she gets it done and gets it done fast.  Seriously, our parents' remodel was done extremely fast once Amy was in charge of the troops.  She also super creative and crafty.  

  

Even if all of the rest of Amy's amazing qualities went away, she'd still be one of my favorite people solely based off of her sense of humor.  She gets in these moods, and I just can't stop laughing!

My favorite face Amy makes

I wish I could describe it, but I just can't do it justice.  I just love it when she gets all happy and funny!

Spencer and Amy are seriously one of the most amazing couples I've ever met.  I know their lives have not gone exactly the way they imagined, but through it all they have been a strength to each other and to all of those around them.

Happy Belated Anniversary you two!  I love you!