Extended Family

I need to preface this post and say that I love my family. Love. Love. Love. With my whole heart. I'd hardly change a thing about them. One of the reasons that I will not allow myself to move home is because I know that it would end up with me hanging out with them and no one else, happy as a clam. Because when I am with them, it's really the only place I'd rather be. They - for the most part - accept me as I am: the introverted, weirdo sister that likes history and reading, BBC, dressing up, and formal dinners (that have things like peppers! and spices! Oh my.) amongst a million other things that they just shake their heads at me and love me anyway.

I love them. Except...

I have several friends who because my family is so far away, have introduced me to their own parents and siblings and all have seemingly welcomed me with open arms. It's been lovely to have a place to go on holidays and for short visits and to feel love like only a family can provide.

If there were one thing about my family that I could change, I would make them read more. I would instill upon them my love of books and get them excited about some of the best books that I have read in the past few years. The more I hang out with one of my surrogate families, the more I really wish I could do this.

This particular family is filled with irreverent, hilarious people who are all Harry Potter trivia warlords. When we are on long drives, we play things like 20 Questions - Harry Potter, in which the person tries to stump the rest of the car by picking a most obscure magical creature, item, or place, character, or spell or literally anything, and then everyone else guesses it within the 20 questions. It is hilarious, and the fact that their dad seems to be reigning master over stumping everyone is even more impressive. They have debates over the details of these books. They know the characters intimately, can quote them (probably recite them) and are just geniuses at taking allusions from the books and making them work in other aspects of their lives. It's fun.

Now that Harry Potter is long over (we think...?) another book has come upon the scene and thankfully, I was put on the group text between all the siblings who have read The Name of the Wind, by Patrick Rothfuss. Which means that randomly, in the middle of the day or night, my phone starts lighting up as somebody comes up with a theory or anecdote about the book, and then everyone debates or expands on the idea. Or we all commiserate on how the third book in the trilogy is much too far away from being published.

When I attended the wedding of one of the brothers, we all put references to The Name of the Wind in his guest book. It may have been the most hilarious thing I have ever witnessed/participated in at a wedding.

I wish I could joke with my siblings and send random quotes from shared books that we have read. I wish that we had the easy-going ribbing and joking that comes so naturally to my friends' family members. The Armstrongs are not stiff, stodgy people. We are quite relaxed and...comfortable. But if I could, I would give us more wit. I would give us the easy bantering of shared interested and mutual love and respect that I know we have, but we just don't always know how to display. I would give us a little bit of irreverence that almost always ends in smirking and laughter.

I wish I didn't live so far away, because I feel like in the past ten years I have lived in Utah, I've missed a lot of bonding time with my siblings. I maintain a close relationship with most of them, but it is only as close as a quick phone call can lend. And it's not always enough.

Birth Month 2011

Today is the last day of the month, so it's the last day of my month-long celebration of my birthday. Sort of. I'm not opposed to celebrating myself the rest of the year, but I just can't invoke anymore birthday rights (not that that has worked this month, at all when I really wanted it to).

The month started out really promising with a few dates with the same guy. And while the whole thing was a flourish into nothing, it was not without having some fun in the process. (Read: It basically ended before it began, but it was fun while it lasted.)

I bought books and clothes.

I went to Idaho to visit some of my most favorite people. And even though it was a flash trip, it was really fun. I made plans to go see them again for Thanksgiving, but was instead surprised with a ticket home for Thanksgiving! For my "birthday", we went and saw Breaking Dawn and went to El Sombrero. They didn't make me wear the sombrero though. My mom got me a new GPS, because my old one broke. It was a smart move, because it saves her a lot of time and hassle when I have an actual computer to find where I am when I'm lost. Being home was by far the best part of my birthday month.

Another unexpected surprise was the fact that we got a new bishopric! I'm pretty excited about the new regime. It was no secret that our old bishop didn't really like me... and I really think that the old YSA 142nd Ward could use a pulse check and shock into some new ideas and activities. I have high hopes for our new bishop and his counselors.

At work, the guys bought a cheesecake, the one without the bug. (Thanks, guys!) And then I went to dinner with a group of friends to my favorite restaurant in Provo: Thai Village. The majority of us got pumpkin curry, which is heaven-made squash in a bowl served with rice. I love it. I want some more.

Megan bought me a MUSIC BULLET, which is as awesome as it sounds. It's a battery operated speaker that plugs in to iPods and computers and such. It will be a great addition to our summer swimming, and until then, I will be happy to use it whenever the opportunity comes along. Thanks, Megan!

Tonight I'm headed north for pedicures and Cheesecake Factory with the FTC. Vietnamese tacos are just what the last day of my birthday celebration called for!

Home for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving has long been my favorite holiday. It probably has something to do with the fact that it always falls near my birthday (though, that has made my birthday somewhat less desirable sometimes) and the fact that it is about food and family. Not necessarily in that order. Our Thanksgivings are also like mini-reunions, since we used to all get together for Thanksgiving.

Of course, when I moved out to Utah in 2004, going home for Thanksgiving was out of the question, if I wanted to be home for Christmas. So I've spent the past seven years in Utah or California celebrating with different families and friends. It was always great, but never quite the same as what I remembered.

This year has been pretty tough on our family. We've had a lot of disappointments and heartaches and we are no where near the end of dealing with them. I don't think I've wanted to go home more for Thanksgiving. Although, I think that every year, it seemed important that I be there, and yet impossible on how to figure out how to get there. I toyed with the idea of charging a plane ticket... and then, I got an unexpected phone call from my cousin, KC, and he made it possible for me to fly home for the week.

It was so great to be there! Everything was perfect and it seemed like everyone who could be there, was there. My cousin who just got back from serving in Afghanistan was there with his wife and baby. My brother and his girlfriend were there. All of the cousins that I grew up with running around on Thanksgiving were there. They shot guns. We ate. We played cards. The rolls tasted better than I remember.

I was just so grateful to be there for a few days, to spend time with my family who I love so much. I miss their company terribly, and I really, really hate having to leave them behind.

Five days in Ohio is hardly enough time to do everything I wanted to do. But I started out the trip playing with Kelsie while Amy and Mom were at work. We galloped around like horses, fed cows on CastleVille and put on make-up. Then Amy and I took Kelsie to get her first haircut. She was so good by sitting really still, but I think she was more nervous than anything else. We didn't take off a lot of length, but we evened it up and got rid of the mullet.

Mackenzie had a basketball scrimmage, so I took the opportunity to watch her play. I am fairly certain that it is the first time I've EVER seen her play basketball. It was really fun. I don't know how to convince her that she needs to be more aggressive, though. When we weren't watching Kiki on the court, we were watching Kelsie make friends with the little boy that was near to her in age. They were having staring contests, and at one point Kels grabbed his little face and shook it back and forth. Dad yelled at her to stop and we explained that he didn't seem to mind, his mother didn't seem to mind so what was the big deal? "That's harassment!" he said. And we laughed.

I went to Friendly's with my friend from elementary school, Kate, and I got my usual candy shoppe sundae. Of course, I had to argue with the waiter about what the sundae was called, since they've changed the menu so many times since I've been away. Kate and I sat and talked for hours and it was great to catch up with her. The waiter happens to be the same guy Amy and our friend Esther often has when they go to Friendly's, and he commented on how Amy and I look alike and also how we drink water like it's going out of style. I probably had seven full glasses of water just because he continued to fill it up. At some point, it became a science experiment: see how long my bladder could hold out. I did want the waiter to think that he bested me, so I finished my glass and insisted that Kate and I get home quickly. It was a close call.

To celebrate my birthday, we (Mom, Amy, Chloe, Julia and me) went to go see Breaking Dawn. It was terrible as expected, but somewhat entertaining. Then we met up with my cousin KC and his parents and brothers at El Sombrero, a favorite Mexican restaurant in Troy, and had a birthday meal. The only picture I got was of Kelsie enjoying her sopapilla.

After dinner, we went home and had tons of desserts to make for Thanksgiving dinner. While we were making apple cheesecake, pumpkin and pecan pie, as well as apple pie, oreo dessert and heaven knows what else, Mackenzie and I decided we needed to give ourselves a little facial.

Brad walked in from work, so we told him to sit down and he did. He let us slather the honey, cinnamon, nutmeg concoction onto his face and then let it stay on there for the allotted time. He's a really good sport. Considering the ingredients, it doesn't smell as good as you would think. But I do love the way it made my skin feel after.

Thanksgiving day consisted of finishing up preparations. Rolling out rolls, and helping Mom in the kitchen as best we can. Then we drove over to my Uncle Craig's and the boys were already out shooting.

As I mentioned, dinner and family time was fantastic. The weather was great, so we were able to take some family pictures. Brad ate his entire dinner like a barbarian. He didn't touch his silverware.

It was so, SO great to see everyone and be home! I just can't believe I was there and I don't think I can ever pay KC back for his kindness. I miss everyone already.

Uno with the Bollschweiler's

Uno has always been a beloved game in my family. It comes from the Bollschweiler (my mom's) side. They tell of a time when my mom was passing cards between her toes in order to cheat. They are all a bunch of cheaters. And no one, not one person, is worse than my grandma. She looks sweet and innocent and has the, "Oh, did I do that wrong?" expression down to a T. But we all know better.

We are playing in the dining room. Across the hall and down the hall there are two babies sleeping trying to sleep. No one in this house knows how to whisper and when the game is getting heated, as it always does, we only get louder. I won three hands in a row and then they were determined to unseat me.

The worst part is that Uncle Allen and myself are the only ones quick enough to play our hands and keep an eye on Mistress Cheater - Grandma - and when we are arguing among ourselves over a disputed move, Grandma manages to slip two or five cards in to the pile.

She looks so innocent, but she's a horrible cheater!

Poor Kevin, a friend of my cousin's, claims to be from a family of cheaters, but was hardly able to keep track of Grandma and his own hand. He's just as loud as the rest of us, though, so he fit in perfectly.

We play Uno with the "matching" rules; things get insane when we try to add the "Armstrong" rules into the mix (trade hands on 0 and slap the deck on 9). The game goes by a lot faster with our rules than it does in an ordinary game, and honestly, I don't think I can sit through a boring old Uno game anymore.

I love this family.

How old was Alma the Younger?

In today's Relief Society lesson, we were discussing the responsibility of family members and one of the things that we read mentioned how we are responsible for fasting and praying for our family.

The story about Alma the Younger was then brought up.

The Book of Mormon tells us how the prayers of a father helped a rebellious son return to the ways of the Lord. Alma the Younger had fallen away from the teachings of his righteous father, Alma, and had gone about seeking to destroy the Church. The father prayed with faith for his son. Alma the Younger was visited by an angel and repented of his evil way of living. He became a great leader of the Church. (See Mosiah 27:8–32.)

As we read this, I thought about my uncle who was excommunicated from the church, and then took X amount of years (decades) to come back. And I thought very specifically about my brother who has been struggling since he was 14 with all sorts of problems. And I wondered, How old was Alma the Younger?

Whenever I've read the story about Alma Jr., I always thought of him as a young man. Out and about pranking people... like the rebellious teenager that is being bad just to be bad and tries to get everyone else to laugh at his shenanigans. But he is called Alma the Younger because he is the son of Alma the Elder. So that doesn't mean that he was young, just that he was younger than his father. Obviously.

So my perspective has changed. Perhaps Alma the Elder had been fasting and praying not for just a couple of weeks or months as he saw his son go about and try to draw people away from the Church of Christ, causing problems and making poor decisions. He could have been praying for years. And years. And maybe more years than any parent should have to pray for their wayward children.

I bet Alma the Elder got really frustrated with his son. I bet there were times when he didn't think that he'd ever see the day that his rebellious son would ever get his act together. And I bet he wondered what he did as a parent to make his son behave that certain way.

But you know what? I bet with all that time that Alma the Younger spent fighting against the church and against God, I think he brought a different perspective to the table once he finally realized what he was fighting against.

After all of that praying and fasting, Alma finally saw the light. He repented. And he became a really great man and leader of the church. He could have been fairly old by then. We don't really know. At least I don't, because I'm not much of a scriptorian, and I've never been told otherwise.

And I think, it gave me just a little bit more hope for my brother. Because, even at 21, he has his whole life ahead of him and can get his act together eventually. I think I do have faith that even if he doesn't fully make his way back to church, he can turn his life around and see the benefit of living a fully healthy and productive life. And I know that it will take many more prayers and fasting, but along with that, patience, and faith in the Lord and in him.

Minute to Win It Games - Bollschweiler Style

I am not a huge fan of the Minute to Win It Games... but when Grandma (or a birthday person *cough*JEN*cough*) request/demand that I participate, I'm down.

Of course, playing a game with the Bollschweilers is always risky. Usually everyone is screaming and yelling. Sometimes we draw blood. And ALWAYS we cheat. What can I say, it's in the genes.

In this video, we see evidence that the youngest brother, Uncle Allen, and his spawn only exemplifies the tradition of cheating. Luckily, Brad is pretty easy going and still manages to put up a good fight, despite Gabe's lack of respect for the rules. We were impressed with the way the asthmatic beat everyone out in his round, but it only took video evidence to show that we were placing our trust in the wrong person.

We declared Brad the winner by default. If you cheat, you have to at least pretend to be sneaky about it!





Oh, and here's proof that I played too:

I would have won, too, if I hadn't had to STOP and hand my mom the camera so that this lovely picture could take place. Oh the sacrifices I make!

Good-Bye, So Soon

The last few weeks have been hectic and busy, and wonderful. I started out the craziness with a trip to Ohio to see my brother graduate. Brad gets cooler all the time. He's so easy going and hilarious, and fun to be around. He's so good-natured, and he gets along with everyone.

Graduations are pretty boring. I don't recommend them. I do recommend trips to the motherland whenever you get the chance, though. It was fun to be home, see everyone, and participate in a the time-honored tradition of going to Kentucky to decorate headstones of family members past. I haven't been to my grandmother's gravesite since she died in 2003.

You know you are in Kentucky, because they memorialize your rockin' mullet when you die.

It was great to be around cousins and aunts and uncles. I grew up with them always around, and these last seven years, I haven't been as much a part of all the traditions and get togethers that we have, and I've missed it. The weather couldn't have been more perfect - mid-nineties with only a titch of humidity - and the only thing that was really bothersome was the discovery of ticks. Yes, ticks! [Take the time to shudder. It's appropriate, I promise.] We found one on Kelsie's back two days later! And it was probably more traumatizing for the adults than it was for Kelso; she was so good about leaning forward and letting everyone inspect and work to get it out.

I started reading the book Creeker while at my Aunt's house, and found that Memorial Day has long been called Decoration Day in the hills of Kentucky. The explanation the author gave of what the holiday consists of: decorating graves, talking about loved ones passed, etc., coincided with our own family tradition. I love that we have just a little bit of hillybilly roots.

I stayed for almost a week, and was still sad to leave. I just missed the Troy Strawberry Festival, which was sad. Even more so, because I didn't get to go pick berries like I wanted to. It helped to know that just a week later, my family would be coming to visit me in Utah. All except Mark, who is recovering from ACL surgery.

We started out their visit with a trip to Bear River Lodge. If you are ever looking for a beautiful area to ride ATVs or get away in a luxury cabin in the mountains, I recommend it. It was beautiful. And just a little bit cold. There was still snow, and Brad's shorts froze over night after he hung them out to dry. We went for a mini-hike, took a couple ATV rides, sat in the hot tub and had a really good time. The owner is a friend of my dad's (an old mission buddy) and he totally hooked us up.

Kelsie was hilarious because she climbed on the king-sized bed and immediately did this little dance and laughed.... non-stop for five minutes as she shifted from one foot to the other. It was contagious, and we were all doubled over, laughing.

Afterward, we headed down and spent some time with my Grandparents in Clearfield. We went to church and then headed down to hang out with some friends, the Belnaps. They have been friends with my parents  for some 20 odd years.

The Bollschweiler Family Reunion started on Monday in Bryce Canyon area. We stayed at the KOA. I don't have tons of experience staying at KOAs, but this is by far the nicest one. The restrooms were remarkably clean - which is the most important factor of anywhere I "camp". (I'm no camper.) Much to Dad's chagrin, we did a lot of hiking. But the area is beautiful, and unlike anything I've ever seen before. We made sure to take lots of pictures (Amy and Mackenzie, you need to get me copies of the ones I don't have ASAP) and hang out with the family. All the siblings were there, and with only a few cousins missing, it was really great to having everyone there and Utah really is a geologically interesting place. There are so many different places and things to see in one state - all different. It is incredible.

Mackenzie had to take off a day early because she was headed to basketball camp, and so Dad, Brad, Mackenzie and I left and stayed in a hotel in order to get them to the airport in time the next morning. Only, ask my dad, flying stand-by is a pain in the rear, and even though I had to go to work, their flight wasn't set to take off until later that night. I left them in Salt Lake to visit Temple Square, and decided to show my face at work.

Mom, Amy and Kelsie came and stayed with me for a few days. It was fun having Kelsie at church with me, because she's a turkey. I had to take her on the elevator in order to find a suitable place to change her diaper in between classes. She decided that the elevator was super fun, and later told us that she needed to be changed again. We believed her. So I let her push the elevator button, and up we went, only to discover that she really didn't need to be changed at all. When I said, "Kelsie! You just lied to me! You don't need to be changed!" She responded with laughter. Peals of giggles, that made me laugh right back. Because she's sneaky and cute.

She obviously had too much energy to go back to class, so I stood in the hallway while she ran up and down saying, "You can't catch me - I'm a gingerbread man!"

Everyone at church thought she was cute. And of course she is, but she is also distracting. I didn't mind, though.

Mom left Amy down in Provo so that she could spend some time with her parents, and so I went back to work while Amy met up with some old friends. We made sugar cookie dough, that has yet to be transformed into actual cookies.

It was just so great having them all around, and now that they have left, I wonder what the heck I'm still doing in Utah? Who's idea was it for me to come out here in the first place! Why am I so far away from my family!?!!! It is torture to say good-bye, and I swear it gets harder every time.

I miss them already.

Flash Trip to Kuna

I drove up this weekend with my grandma to visit my uncle and his family in Kuna, Idaho. I got off work late on Friday, spent the night at my grandma's (where I went to bed at 10:30 p.m.!) and then we woke up early to hit the road Saturday morning.

A few things about the trip up.

1) My grandma talks a lot. She has always owned up to being gabby, and I must admit that I possess a similar trait. But I'm pretty sure that out of the five hours we drove up there, she was not talking for maybe, half an hour of that. It made the drive go by really fast, and even if I did hear the thong story* for a third time, I didn't mind.

2) We drove my grandma's truck. Honestly, I knew that it was going to be expensive to fill that sucker up, but I don't really trust my car to drive up to Boise anymore, and so I didn't want to offer to take my car, and my grandma doesn't like to drive her blue car. (I know, "blue" is not a type of car. I just have no idea what that thing is...) So I didn't offer to help pay for gas, even though I know that my grandparents do not have a lot of extra cash to be spending on trips and such. What I did do, is offer to pay for our lunch on the way there and on the way back. I sort of expected resistance, as that is what happens when you are around your grandparents, but my grandma happily let me pay and it made me feel like an actual adult instead of a child. It was a cool feeling, to know that she thinks of me on kind of the same level.

3) My grandma also let me drive. This demonstrated that she trusted me, because I know she thinks I drive like a maniac. Not because she has ever been in the car when I'm driving like a maniac, but simply because - ready? - I take less time to get up to her house than it takes her to get to mine. I'm pretty sure that she thinks I drive way too fast, and way too crazy. But she let me get back behind the wheel, and I don't think I scared her once. Or maybe, just once.... but I was just getting used to the brakes.

When we got to Allen's, it was great to see the kids. I love going up there, and I really love those kids. They are so fun and silly and they compliment me like no other! They give me hugs and want to tell me stories and even Tess, who is the youngest, snuggled up next to me as we watched a movie on the couch. Before she did that though, we went off looking for a inexpensive, fun activity. The weather was practically spring-like, so we knew that it had to be outside.

We ended up at a dam somewhere outside of Boise. This led to a lot of "dam" jokes, that made the kids blush and stammer and say, "Daaaad!" They couldn't believe what they were hearing, and I was completely in awe of their young innocence. Was I really like that as a child? I know I was, I used to physically abuse my friends when they said swear words.

Why is it that throwing rocks into a body of water is so therapeutic? I don't know, but we certainly entertained ourselves for several hours.

We stopped on the other side of the dam because after Allen blamed everyone for stepping in poop, he realized that it was him, and so he needed to clean off his shoes before he could make the drive back home. It was getting cold, but it was really pretty. Once we were "de-pooped" we made it back into town.

 Afterwards, we did dinner and a movie at home, and I was in bed again by 10:40 p.m.! It was a miracle. We woke up and made it to 9:00 a.m. church, and then Tanner was ordained a teacher - which was the whole excuse for our trip. I can't believe that kid is 14, and even more so, I can't believe how much he has grown even since the last time I saw him! He's almost as tall as me and he is already taller than his mom and grandma.

After church, I tried to get grandma to stick around, but she was anxious to get on the road and back to grandpa. She is always very nervous about the driving conditions, be it traffic, weather, or road conditions, she is ready to have the driving over with before it even begins.

It was a fun, but too quick, trip - and it really feels like I didn't even go. I'm just glad I took pictures as evidence that I did get up there this weekend!

That Time of Year

Well, it's time for the annual car breakdown. And I'm happy to report that Louise (she's my car) was happy to oblige.

I drove up this weekend to attend my cousin's wedding reception. (Shout out to the family members I was able to reconnect with - Congrats Rebecca and Jordan!)

The new Mrs. Bartholomew, i.e. my cousin Rebecca

I was excited to see Amanda at the reception as well!

And then I was off to finish my weekend in Logan with my boys! Of course, it was raining the whole time, but it was nice to go and have a place to stay instead of driving all the way back to Provo that night. Jake cooked dinner and baked brownies and then we all went to bed. I woke up to breakfast being cooked and then I was on my merry way. (Pretty much, it  was like staying at a Bed and Breakfast with two very amusing hosts.)

Only, I didn't get far. Louise was acting up, and so I pulled over to check the tire - which was fine - and then almost immediately after, I lost my brakes. Not that they fell off, or anything. They just, stopped working. So I creeped my way off Main Street and parked the dumb thing on the side of the road and immediately called my cousin Andrew (bless him) who said he needed a minute to figure some things out. I let Jake know what was going on. And called my dad just to see if he would answer in the middle of church. He did. And then I sat in the car and read.

After a few hours, I heard from Andrew (seriously, he's awesome) saying that he was trying to get a trailer. And a couple hours later... I needed to get out of the car! So Jake and David came and picked me up, fed me dinner and I continued to read while they worked on homework.

(Also, David can attest to this - in fact, he commented on it SEVERAL times - I was in a perfectly good mood. After all, this is nothing new. Louise chooses to break down at will, and so I was just very grateful that I hadn't gotten out of Logan, hadn't been on the highway and that Andrew answered his phone! I was doing great! No ogress to be seen.)

Andrew getting the car onto the trailer. By himself. (We all tried to help, but I think we were mostly getting in the way.)

Louise looking pathetic.

It doesn't look like it is raining much in this picture, but once we got out of town it was BAD. Also, i t was cold and rainy and windy and Amanda and I braved it all out in the truck while Andrew showed us his manliness and toughed it out. Louise didn't fall off the trailer, and I am infinitely grateful for that. (But mostly only because it would have risked the lives of other people. I am slowly losing any and all affection for my car.)

Around 9:00 p.m. (eight and a half hours from original departure time) Andrew rolled up with a trailer (YAY!) and we drove through the torrential downpour back to Salt Lake. And we didn't die! Which I attribute to the copious amounts of prayers that Amanda and I sent up to heaven coupled with Andrew (because he's my hero).

We made it to Andrew's dealership - Select Motorsports -  where he gave me the keys to a Camero and let me go home. (YAY!) Which I did. I got home around 1:00 a.m. And my roommates were very pleased that I made it home alive.

Matti and Savannah. Probably a little sleep-drunk because it was well after 1 a.m. and we don't sleep in our apartment.

I drove the Camero around for the day and then after work (and FHE) I went up to Sandy and Louise was back in my possession. If she keeps true to form, we won't have any more major complications for another 10-11 months or so. Maybe I can get her sold before then? In the meantime, she has brakes again! (Albeit, in desperate need to be "bled" - terminology given to me from the menfolk, basically there is still air in the brake lines and I have to pump the brake pedal before I get any sort of response - and then she will be... ready for the next break down.)

Although it was freezing, we had to take advantage of the fact that I was in possession of a convertible. So we did.

It was Savannah's first time.

Over all, it's been an exciting week. With little or no sleep... so that is where I am supposed to be heading now. To bed! (YAY!)

And even though Andrew doesn't read my blog, I definitely wanted to send out another THANK YOU, because I have NO IDEA what I would have done if he hadn't come and rescued me.

Salve Pater!

Dear Dad,

I just wanted to tell you that, when you asked me, "How are you doing?" tonight, it sounded so sincere. I just knew that you really cared and wanted to know. And I appreciated that, because I know that you don't like to talk on the phone for hours like I do.


Thanks for thinking about me and being SO supportive. I love when you text me about something you've read in my book and that you've done your part in trying to promote it. And that you tell people at work that you're reading a romance without worrying about what people think.

The love and support that I feel from you and Mom, even though we are 1500 miles apart, is the strength I need to do what I can to be a better person and try harder. No daughter felt so loved as I did tonight after talking to both of you. I love you both so much.

You're the best, Dad. 

I love you!

Graduation, Family Reunion and Kelsie

I just returned from our annual Armstrong Family Reunion in Winchester, Kentucky. This year was awesome because it seemed like almost everyone was there (we missed my Uncle Eric's family and of course, Bradley!) and the weather was practically perfect.

The trip got off to a rocky start, and ended up costing me more than I anticipated. Of course, I could have chosen to wait the extra day and waste a perfectly good work day... but I opted to buy a new plane ticket and get the dodge out of Utah and to Ohio on time. I'm glad I did it, but things are going to be financially tighter than I was expecting due to other unforeseen charges that I didn't know I had. Darn.

Anyway, after dealing with trying to find a flight that would get me to Dayton; a delay in Chicago and then having then board the plane only to turn around and empty it again in order to change a tire and then reboard -- and then leaving my luggage behind --; my mom getting pulled over for speeding at 1:30 a.m., etc. I made it.

Wednesday I spent the day watching Kelsie. And honestly, if she isn't the smartest, cutest baby in the world... well, there is no if. I mean, I'm sure she isn't like a prodigy or anything. But she's dang smart. And way cuter in person (which I didn't think was possible). I had so much fun playing with her and interacting and just watching her. She's funny, too. (YES! FUNNY. I don't care what people say, babies are funny.) Ashley came down from Columbus and I got to show her all the major landmarks of my childhood. She bore it well, and I was so happy that she was willing to come visit me. We went to El Sombrero's -- delicious.

Thursday I went shopping with Amy. She has a really cute figure, and so she can wear some really fun dresses. Kelsie went with us and entertained me in between Amy changing in and out of dresses. Then we went to Friendly's -- delicious.

Friday it was off to Wesley Woods for the reunion. The cabin seemed to be full by the time we got there, and people were taking other people's bunks and messing up what our family has done for years. Which meant, I got kicked to the top bunk. It wasn't as bad as I was expecting. We ate like kings - like we always do and played Banana Grams. It was too cold at night to go swimming, which was different. And I was too lazy to change in and out of my swim suit.

My family is incredible. I don't know if I've mentioned that before, but they totally surprised with me with my very own mock graduation. Of course, we were at camp, so I looked like trash and that was really appreciated. Chloe distracted me by making me play at the playground with the kids and then when we came back up they had the graduation march going and made me sit and watch a video that Camille made. Craig emceed the whole thing and my Uncle David and Dad got up and spoke. I felt embarrassed and ugly and foolish and sorry for everyone that had to sit and watch the whole thing. And I felt completely overwhelmed with love and support. When I got up to accept my "diploma" I was, of course, crying. My family is just really awesome and supportive and proud each other's accomplishments and I like it.

When we got back from the reunion I tried to renew my license, but I shouldn't have been surprised that the system was down state-wide and I couldn't do it. So I went to King's Island instead and rode many rides, including the Flight of Fear, which is my favorite. We saw gross people, fat people and lots of white trash people. Seriously, we were the most attractive people there. There was absolutely no eye candy. Which means, even if I want to move back to Ohio, I can't. Because if there aren't attractive non-members, then there certainly aren't going to be attractive members of the church. Sad. Of course, King's Island isn't really the best sample of people seeing as how amusement parks tend to attract the unattractive. I don't know what it is...but it's true.

After King's Island, Sabrina took me to Bob Evans -- more delicious than I even remembered, which considering how I crave their cheesy potato soup and rolls on a regular basis, is saying something.

Over all the trip was too short, very pleasant and worth every penny. I just wish I had taken more pictures.

Florida 2010

I had the opportunity a few weeks ago to go to Florida and visit one of my best friends who's husband is studying at Ave Maria Law School down in Naples. It was so good to see her and spend time in the warm weather (I heard it snowed in Utah while I was away, and I was not sorry to have missed that...)

While I was there I got to just relax, which was fabulous. I read out by the pool. We played tennis. We went to the beach. Walked through a nature preserve on Sanibel Island. Got attacked by a shark....that turned out to only be a friendly dolphin. And I met Jessica and Tyler's friends from Mississippi: Amanda and Daniel. They were really fun!

I haven't seen my uncle Fred for years, and so I called him up and he offered to take us out on a little boat ride. It was really pleasant, and beautiful to go through the "no wake" zone and then just relax on our own little (literally, very little) beach. Jess and Amanda are the most economical, frugal people I have ever met, and so we did everything for basically free. Which meant, the only money I spent was on my ticket and a few books to read at the pool and on the plane. Fabulous.

I got some sun. And I've been molting for the past two weeks, though I've kept some of the color thus far. I really didn't want to leave. ESPECIALLY when I checked in at the airport and the monitor read, "Current temperature in Salt Lake City: 42 degrees." It's taken these two weeks to actually start warming up...UUUUGH.

On my lay-over in Cincinnati, I was able to switch my flight to a later one and my Mom, sisters and baby Kelsie came to see me for an hour. It was seriously almost the highlight of the trip, because I really do miss my family on a daily basis.

I can't wait until the next cheap plane ticket to pop up! Maybe next time I will go visit my cousin Simon in North Carolina!

Mother's Day

I don't think this year's tribute to Mom will by as eloquent as this was last year. All that I listed then is still true. I will simply give the latest reason of why my mom is the best.

On my return flight from Florida, I had a layover in Cincinnati. Cincinnati airport happens to be about an hour and a half away from home, and when we flew over the Ohio river it made me utterly homesick, and I had this heartbreaking pain from missing my family. I was trapped at an airport, and only an hour and a half away from them! And there was no way I was going to be able to see them before my next flight took me to freaking Utah.

When I'm flying, I hate being in a rush. So I typically go straight to my gate and entertain myself there. That way, if any changes are made in the gates, I have plenty of time to find out and relocate. So I found my gate, made sure it was close and then called my mom to tell her how much I missed her. How much it was killing me that we were so close.

I walked over to the departure screen and noticed that there was another flight that left at 6:50 p.m. instead of the scheduled 4:20 p.m.

"If I pay to change my flight to the later one, will you come?" I ask. Knowing it's a long shot. Knowing that even if she leaves right that second, she won't make it until 5 p.m. and we'd only have an hour. Knowing that it's probably not worth the gas. And there isn't much we can do around the airport or in the airport or for that short amount of time.

"Sure," she responds.

That "sure" was enough. Within minutes, I had switched flights (for absolute FREE) and Mom had gathered all the girls so that they could head to Cincinnati. They hit traffic. We couldn't find anywhere nearby to eat (no one coming/going to the Cincinnati airport likes to eat apparently) and by the time they got there we literally had 60 minutes to spend time with each other.

If this isn't an example of pure love and devotion to her children, I'm not sure what is. I know that I felt incontestably loved.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom. Thank you for being you. Thank you for loving us so well. You're truly the best!!!

Happy Birthday, AMY!

Twenty-three years ago my little sister was born on this very day. I don't actually know the story - I know that she was born breech and that my mom had a C-section.

I'm not really sure what my reaction was to having a little sister when she was first brought home. I was only 18 months old. I think the picture shows that I liked her well enough.

As we grew up, we were so close in age that we basically did everything together. We collected slugs in our emptied out peanut butter jars. We rode our bikes around the block and tried to get ourselves lost.

We made up dream machines. And played pound puppies before we went to bed. We shared friends. We walked to the pool everyday. We made a paper house floor plan and paper people. We played Barbies. Lots of Barbies.

I'm not going to lie - we were pretty much the most awesome kids in the whole world.

Since we shared a room, there was some fighting. She didn't like the fact that I liked to listen to Classical music. Or that my alarm went off 328 times before I got up for seminary. But once I started driving, we were friends again.

Amy has been a built-in best friend since the day she was born and so I am very grateful that we have this day every year to celebrate that.

Happy birthday, little sister! I love you.

 

Also, I love her even more because ONE year ago today, she had that baby. Kelsie is sooooo cute. I can't believe that she's been around for a whole year. She's such an intricate part of all our lives (well, maybe not intricate for me as I sit some 2,000 miles away) and I love her to pieces.

 

Amy - will you PLEASE PUHLEASE get me more pictures?

You Know They're a True Friend When

they pick you up from the airport.

My Aunt Elouise and I were discussing last night a situation where she and my Uncle Craig were stranded at the airport after Christmas because someone they had counted on to pick them up wouldn't answer their phone call and never did arrive.

My Uncle is an airline pilot and so he has done A LOT of flying in his life for work, for travel and for recreation. And it has always been a saying of his that you know who your true friends are by if they are willing to pick you up or drop you off at the airport.

As I sat and thought of all the times I have gone to the airport and all the friends and family that have dropped me off - I realized that he is exactly right. I always have my closest friends - if not my awesome grandparents - take me to the airport. Because they are reliable. And they are happy to see me when I fly back in (images of Becca and me screaming as we run for an overly-dramatic hug that cause body parts to rip off and eardrums to burst come to mind). Going to the airport is never really convenient. Sometimes it requires taking off work. Most the time it requires waking up way earlier than you ever intend to, or staying up way later than your eyelids can even handle.

So to those of you that have ever driven me to the airport - defying death (Carla) or sleep (everyone else), I thank you. You guys are awesome. And true, true friends.

Post scriptum: I extend this post to some of my friends who were absolutely angry with me when this happened because I had my car in the airport parking lot. When I was telling the story, the first thing they asked was "WHY DIDN'T YOU CALL ME? I could have come to get you." I have so many friends that I can ask to retrieve me from the airport. And that level of comfort, I do not take for granted. My friends/family are absolutely the best.

I'm engaged! (scenario #1)

His name is Warren.

We met at a 35+ New Year's Eve dance and he simply took my breath away. Sure, he was a little slow. And he definitely did not have much to say. But I think I liked the possessive look he got in his eye when I danced with Mike and Robert later. He didn't have to tell me that he loved me, he said it with his dead fish-like hands and inability to hold me close while we danced. This, of course, was due to his large belly that stuck so far out, I thought he would be a good double for Santa. I'm not really sure what we will do for a wedding - when, where and more importantly why.

Never mind. I guess it is a good thing that the ring is on loan.

I spent Christmas in Ohio. You've already read about the Christmas miracle-bonus that allowed me to play for a ticket. I will also say that I was very blessed to be leaving on 24 Dec without so much as a delay for weather for any of my flights whether they were out/in to Salt Lake, Columbus and Detroit or Dayton. I really, really enjoyed being home - I always do, but this year was particularly great.

First, I completely underestimated exactly how CUTE my niece is. Kelsie is totally her own person and is so funny - she just cracks me up. I love her to pieces and it was so hard to leave her. Even though, she doesn't like me very much. She cuddled with me once. She cried most other times I didn't have food in my hands that I was trying to bribe her with. She eats nonstop, and she eats everything. It didn't matter that we tried avocado, olives and random other things. She ate it all. And she wanted more, always more. I loved watching her dance with her toys, and walking like a drunk and spitting all over Mom in church. And reaching out for Amy while she sat on the stand trying to give a talk. And her laugh. And even her cry. She's just SO CUTE!

I got two hugs and two "I love yous" from Mark. Miracle.

I spent time with some peeps from high school. One is in Washington DC at the White House. The other works on the show Brothers and Sisters (with Sally Field) in LA. Just a reminder: I'm an office manager at a small architecture firm one class shy of my degree. *shrugs shoulders*

Brad cracked me up when the following conversation took place:

"I just can't understand why he hasn't kissed her yet. Guys know whether or not they want to kiss a girl in like, five seconds. Back me up, Brad," I said trying to figure out the curling ribbon on my present.

"Brad doesn't know," My mom said in denial. "You're too young to know."

"No I'm not and Yeah I do."

I look to my mom triumphantly and say, "Aren' I right, Brad?"

"Pretty much."

"Just remember Brad, don't give your kisses out like pretzels," I say, quoting a line from somewhere I'd heard sometime. (It may be written somewhere in the margins or my scriptures.)

"Can't help it - I've got a whole pretzel stand!"

I die laughing. My mom looks at him shocked and then cracks a smile before he heads to bed. "Alright, Pretzel Man," my mom says, "How about a kiss for your mother."

And he leaned over and kisser her, then me, on the cheek.

I freakin' love that kid.

A shout out to my buds Esther and Mindy. I can't believe we are all so one-track minded. It's sad really. But I'm so glad that I'm not the only one.

And then the trip was over. It was way, way too short. But my office was glad to get me back and even though I meant to work only a half day today, I ended up staying until 5:00 p.m. And busy too.

I think in general, 2010 is shaping up to be an interesting year for me already. I had the best ribeye of my life at Christopher's, thank you Roberta! It was seriously expensive and well-worth getting all gussied up for. Then Roberta and I hit the 35+ New Year's Eve Dance. You thought I was kidding about that? I wasn't. I was the youngest, hottest thing there. Turns out, old people are total floozies. And only seem to have one thing on their minds! Nevertheless, I was asked to dance by quite a few bachelors. And while none struck my fancy, the Knight with the beat up truck asked if he could take me out sometime. Thank goodness for Roberta, defending my young, innocence. He had to be twice my age AT LEAST. I must admit that I looked around the room at 12:00 a.m. on January 1, 2010 and prayed - PRAYED - that I was not looking into the crystal ball of my future in 10 years. I think I would rather die. Regardless, it was "fun".

And then I went and hung out with a friend and I am just now typing all of this up. It is late. I will be moving tomorrow... if I ever get out of bed. And there is much yet to be done!

Happy 2010! May the whole year be as interesting and low-key as this evening has been for me. And thanks again, Roberta for dinner and the dance.

Christmas Card

Tis the season for Christmas cards. I've always wanted to send them out, and I never do mostly because I'm lazy. But also because Christmas cards are for 1) people who want to brag about their kids 2) new couples who want to prove that they love their choice of spouse 3) someone who has traveled around the world...etc. Since I don't fall into any of those categories, and because really, I blog and you are able to read about all of the things that have happened to me throughout the year... Shoot, I'm totally talking myself out of doing this.

I designed the "card" above. It's sort of my new favorite thing to do on Picasa. It's complicated, and I feel like I am tricking the system for what it is meant to do. I would rather have Photoshop - all it's cool features...sigh. So how do I want to do this "Christmas card"? A run down of the year's events? Ok.

January
The year started in Ohio, as I have been lucky enough to do every year since I moved to Utah. Since I had been out of work since November, this trip was a Christmas miracle and was completely due to a generous gift given to me by my awesome roommates - who bought my plane ticket home. I was living at the Omni with Ashley, Becca and Kira. We were partying it up, doing one-song dance parties in the parking garage. I was serving as the FHE Mom and having a blast with my family. This was also the beginning of my last full-time semester at BYU.

February
I became an aunt! Kelsie was born at the beginning of the month. I was sad that I couldn't be there, and felt completely left out of the loop because I could never get a hold of anyone, and when I did get on the phone with someone, Amy was so RUDE to be in the background yelling and stuff. Guess she was in pain or something. I really wish I had been there, still.

When I finally got my grubby hands on some pictures, I could tell that she would be pretty much the cutest little girl in all the world. I think I am a prophetess. All the pictures I have received thus far have proven me correct.

March
I don't remember March. We celebrated Becca's birthday by taking a party bus to Wendover, Nevada. Colin and I were still FHE parents. I was still in school, although, wrapping up the semester. I really did like all of my classes - they were interesting and fun and I had great professors.

April
I finished the semester amongst moving (typical) and organizing a ward video for the Stake FHE Oscar Night. Becca and I moved into a house by Seven Peaks with Roberta (Becca's Mom) and we fell into the lap of luxury, basically. More room - storage, a pantry, different rooms to put things! Stairs and a garage. I dropped off my car to be repaired - transmission leak - before I went home and met Kelsie for the first time. Amy held off the baby's blessing so that I could be there, and it was a very nice treat. I had found the ticket for so cheap that I used some of my loan money to pay for it. I'm still glad I did it, even if I have started paying back student loans this month.


May
May was a super busy month! I went to California one week to attend Kira and Reuben's wedding reception. I drove down with Levi and Colin and Aubrey met up with us. It was seriously a blast. Then the next weekend, I took off to New Mexico with the FTC and we spent Memorial Day weekend in Santa Fe. I was lucky that I didn't have to worry about getting off of work, and I was only taking one geography class because I decided to drop my stats class and sign up through independent study. I'm still sticking by my decision to do that...even if I could have been done about 700x by now. But that's mostly because I'm ridiculously stubborn. Becca and I established a party house by throwing a successful Cinco de Mayo party. 

June - July

Becca and I memorialized Michael Jackson by throwing a Michael Jackson party at our house. We also celebrated our one-year anniversary in Bear Lake. I can't keep everything straight, so sometime during these two months, my mom, Amy and Kelsie came out to visit and go to the Bollschweiler family reunion in Moab, Utah. I haven't been to Moab, and it was really cool to walk around instead of drive through. I was still in school and had to balance my time between the two. It was nice to have my mom around. We went up to Idaho to visit my uncle and his family. I contracted the piggy flu and was down for a day or so, and tried hard not to kiss the baby. It was impossible.

August Back to Ohio for the Armstrong family reunion. And that was the most exciting thing I did. It was so fun to be home with the family. I was very blessed to have my ticket paid for by my uncle, and then he allowed me to work for him for a week in order to pay him back. I was starting to freak out about money, so I was really looking for new jobs, toying with the idea of moving back to Ohio and not doing stats like I was supposed to be doing. I enjoyed a lot of laying out in the sun and reading. It was fabulous, really. 

September 

Stats is still not done. And since I didn't have a job, I took off to Idaho planning to stay a week. A few days in, I got a phone call from KMA, wondering if I were available for a second interview. So I headed on back. It was the smartest choice that I made, since I got the job. I also finished one of my tests for stats and did terrible. I started toying with the idea of going to Korea to teach English. I even got my passport! But when it came down to it, I had to have stats done...and well, you read the first sentence.

October
October is a busy month. I had to completely replace my brake system in my car. I officially started my job working at Kevin Madson & Associates as the office manager. I can't tell you how much of a blessing it was to finally have a job again. Plus, it's pretty much the best job I've ever had. I work with all guys - that are hilarious. Kevin has the biggest heart and is the best boss (not neurotic at all). It was hard getting back into the swing of having a full-time job. I maintained the sleeping schedule I've had for about six months (you know: wake up at 11am, do whatever, take a nap outside, go to lunch with the FTC, play and party, read, and then go to bed at 2 or 3 or 4am. Repeat). Having a job sitting at a desk is exhausting! But, if you do it well, you will get a raise within fourteen days - which I did. The best part of October is Halloween; and Becca and I made sure we did this with a bang. We threw an awesome party at our house, complete with formal invitations, test tube and dry ice drinks, a DJ and awesome decorations. The guys dressed up which was way sweet. I hit up a party at the Omni ward. And then Becca and I went to Salt Lake for another party.

November
MY BIRTHDAY MONTH! I made sure to celebrate all month long. Not really, but I did celebrate for a good two weeks. See previous post. We had an awesome sleepover when New Moon was released and that was a lot of fun. I went to Southern California for Thanksgiving. Work is still going really good.

December
I can't believe December is here already. And I can't believe that for the fifth year in a row, when I've thought that there was no way I was going to make it home (though I am always determined to go anyway) a miracle - in the form of relatives, roommates or this year, my boss - I am able to go. I've been trying to work out my finances so I could justify a plane ticket and when I looked I found cheap tickets, but hadn't talked to my boss about getting time off, and then the prices rise and I thought that there was going to be no way. But my boss called me into his office and handed me a check. "It's not much," he says, "It might be able to buy you a dinner for you and your boyfriend." But when I opened it, it was much more than that. It was enough to pay for an expensive ticket... which I didn't have to do, because the prices had dropped again. So not only did I get money that I wasn't expecting, I also got a great deal on my flight. Anyone who does not believe in Christmas miracles and answers to prayers are just not opening their eyes.

So that's the year. I can't believe 2009 is over! It seems absolutely crazy that I'm 24. And I know, I'm not graduated or married or working some high-paying job or even doing an internship in my major. But, I'm happy. I have great friends. My relationship with my family is good. And the Lord continues to bless my life, even if I am a complete screw up. This next year will be full of new things: I'll probably get my stats done which means graduation, hopefully I will leave the country and USE my passport, I'm definitely moving within the next month... and who knows what else!


Merry Christmas. I hope that your year has brought you as many ups and downs as mine (hopefully more ups than downs) and you've been able to learn and live and grow.