We never watched much TV growing up. Movies, yes, but TV no. I basically kept that habit all through college and over the several years since I graduated. However, ever since Melanie moved in with me I've become addicted to a few shows and the most recent one is So You Think You Can Dance.
I've always enjoyed watching dancing. I would go to watch my sister Becky at her Ballroom dance classes at BYU and my roommate Valory at her international Folk dance classes. Heck I even took a Polynesian dance class at BYU and participated in two luaus there and danced for one of the opening celebrations for the 2002 Paralympics. HOWEVER I can't dance! I try...sometimes. This show inspires me...it makes me wish that I could dance and I find myself prancing (notice I did NOT say Dancing...) around the house more frequently and that my friends is all Melanie's fault :) (there are many things that are Melanie's fault, but we'll stick to this one in this post...now I know we could go into that whole discussion that Melanie isn't forcing me to do anything and I have my agency and all that, but for the sake of this post just pretend it's Melanie's fault and if you have a hard time with the word 'fault' go ahead and use 'influence'...it was all Melanie's influence)
So when you see me though the open blinds (because they always seem to be open...), making a fool of myself...shake your head and sigh and think, 'Poor Amy...it's all Melanie's fault.' and then I give you permission to laugh. Laughter is good for you and someone ought to benefit from my silliness :)
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Friday, October 2, 2009
The Month of September
September was a crazy month...
I flew out to UT to on Sept 1st to help my sister Becky move into her new condo (YAY Becky!) It's a nice place. I like it a lot. She seems happy and excited about it.
That next day my dad called and told us that he was fired (officially, not just a notice like before) He was so sure that he was going to be reinstated since he was one of the senior programmers on the project with the most knowledge and experience, but honestly that's probably why he was fired. SO my dad packed up his stuff in California and drove to UT (He was coming to UT anyway, but was only planning on staying to help my mom pack up the Orem house, which they just sold, and for my nephew's baptism and then head back to CA) My dad only had 18 months until he could retire with the full benefits and all (another reason he was probably let go)
Anyway...my folks got to UT on Thursday night (Sept 3rd) By which point we had Becky basically moved in. We (my folks and I) spent all Friday packing up the Orem house and I went to pick Becky up from work and died...we still had more to do, but it was getting late...my folks stayed in Orem...
That next morning my dad called about 8 am to tell us that my Grandpa Durtschi had passed away earlier that morning. It was expected, he had been sick and in failing health for a while and all, but I don't know if that really makes it much better...I was doing okay until I had to talk to my coworkers to arrange for more time off to stay for the funeral.
We had the funeral service on Wednesday Sept 9th. It was a simple and beautiful service. Elisabeth was able to join us. Becky, Elisabeth and I sang and I spoke. I'm happy that my grandparents are together again. It must have been hard for my grandpa, staying behind while my grandma went on last December. I'll miss them both.
My nephew Jared was baptized on Saturday, Sept 5th. I can't believe he's already 8 years old! Time flies!
That Sunday, Sept 6th we made arrangements to see Sarah at Temple Square. She took us on a tour. It was SO much fun. I miss Sarah. She looks great and seems very happy.
I flew home Sept 10th. Before I left we finished packing up most of the Orem house expect for the last few things, such as the dolly, which my dad packed at the end and didn't secure well and it ended up falling on his head...he had to go to the emergency room and get 8 stitches. My poor daddy!
So I got back to work on Sept 11th and was told that they had chosen a new person to hirer and she would start Tuesday. Tuesday came...she started and we started training...training is interesting...fun and yet so time consuming. Needless to say it was an interesting 10 days. The newbie didn't quite work out and on Sept 24th my manager spoke to her and told her it wasn't working...it was hard for all parties involved.
My folks made a cross country trip, stopping at Grandma Maren's (Southern Utah), Aunt Anita's (Colorado Springs), Elisabeth's (Temple TX) along the way.
As I said, September was a crazy month...I'm so glad it's Oct :)
With all the heartaches and struggles my parents are going through they seem to be taking it really well. It's an inspiration to me. I know they have prayed and cried, but they haven't given up and that's a big deal.
I flew out to UT to on Sept 1st to help my sister Becky move into her new condo (YAY Becky!) It's a nice place. I like it a lot. She seems happy and excited about it.
That next day my dad called and told us that he was fired (officially, not just a notice like before) He was so sure that he was going to be reinstated since he was one of the senior programmers on the project with the most knowledge and experience, but honestly that's probably why he was fired. SO my dad packed up his stuff in California and drove to UT (He was coming to UT anyway, but was only planning on staying to help my mom pack up the Orem house, which they just sold, and for my nephew's baptism and then head back to CA) My dad only had 18 months until he could retire with the full benefits and all (another reason he was probably let go)
Anyway...my folks got to UT on Thursday night (Sept 3rd) By which point we had Becky basically moved in. We (my folks and I) spent all Friday packing up the Orem house and I went to pick Becky up from work and died...we still had more to do, but it was getting late...my folks stayed in Orem...
That next morning my dad called about 8 am to tell us that my Grandpa Durtschi had passed away earlier that morning. It was expected, he had been sick and in failing health for a while and all, but I don't know if that really makes it much better...I was doing okay until I had to talk to my coworkers to arrange for more time off to stay for the funeral.
We had the funeral service on Wednesday Sept 9th. It was a simple and beautiful service. Elisabeth was able to join us. Becky, Elisabeth and I sang and I spoke. I'm happy that my grandparents are together again. It must have been hard for my grandpa, staying behind while my grandma went on last December. I'll miss them both.
My nephew Jared was baptized on Saturday, Sept 5th. I can't believe he's already 8 years old! Time flies!
That Sunday, Sept 6th we made arrangements to see Sarah at Temple Square. She took us on a tour. It was SO much fun. I miss Sarah. She looks great and seems very happy.
I flew home Sept 10th. Before I left we finished packing up most of the Orem house expect for the last few things, such as the dolly, which my dad packed at the end and didn't secure well and it ended up falling on his head...he had to go to the emergency room and get 8 stitches. My poor daddy!
So I got back to work on Sept 11th and was told that they had chosen a new person to hirer and she would start Tuesday. Tuesday came...she started and we started training...training is interesting...fun and yet so time consuming. Needless to say it was an interesting 10 days. The newbie didn't quite work out and on Sept 24th my manager spoke to her and told her it wasn't working...it was hard for all parties involved.
My folks made a cross country trip, stopping at Grandma Maren's (Southern Utah), Aunt Anita's (Colorado Springs), Elisabeth's (Temple TX) along the way.
As I said, September was a crazy month...I'm so glad it's Oct :)
With all the heartaches and struggles my parents are going through they seem to be taking it really well. It's an inspiration to me. I know they have prayed and cried, but they haven't given up and that's a big deal.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Memory Lane - Valory Comes to Visit - UT Edition
Valory and I met our freshmen year at BYU. Quite by chance actually. I was downstairs with a friend studying our physics homework. It was the first assignment of the class and I was already stumped (that didn't bode well for the rest of the semester.) While we were there a young girl came in and asked if it was okay if she could watch TV. She saw what we were working on our physics 105 homework and stated that she was in the same class and asked if she could join our study group and that was the beginning of wonderful friendship.
We lived together our Junior and Senior years...such great times! So many stories, but not to be shared right now.
I left for my mission in July and Valory in November. It was almost 2 years before we saw each other again...and that was when Valory came to visit me and my family in Utah.
We had the BEST time every!
We went camping...
Becky showing us the true way to cook a bagel over an open flame :)
The next morning...there's nothing like day after camping look.
For FHE during Valory we played Nephites and Lamanites, which consisted of PC pipes and mini-marshmallows. :) We won...we being the Lamanites.
We went to watch a movie...yes we took a picture of ourselves in the movie theatre...don't worry it was before the movie started.
Lastly and most importantly we celebrated Valory's birthday.
I've never been so blessed as by the 'happenstance' that ended with Valory and I both taking physics our freshman year and meeting oh so long ago downstairs and bonding over homework.
We lived together our Junior and Senior years...such great times! So many stories, but not to be shared right now.
I left for my mission in July and Valory in November. It was almost 2 years before we saw each other again...and that was when Valory came to visit me and my family in Utah.
We had the BEST time every!
We went camping...
Becky showing us the true way to cook a bagel over an open flame :)The next morning...there's nothing like day after camping look.
For FHE during Valory we played Nephites and Lamanites, which consisted of PC pipes and mini-marshmallows. :) We won...we being the Lamanites.
We went to watch a movie...yes we took a picture of ourselves in the movie theatre...don't worry it was before the movie started.
Lastly and most importantly we celebrated Valory's birthday.
I've never been so blessed as by the 'happenstance' that ended with Valory and I both taking physics our freshman year and meeting oh so long ago downstairs and bonding over homework.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Memory Lane - Illinois Thanksgiving 2006
For my first Thanksgiving after moving to Falls Church I was invited by Julie to join her family in Illinois for a Thanksgiving celebration.
We started out in Tampico, IL (the birth place of Ronald Reagan) where Julie's brother's in-laws own a bed and breakfast and a diner.
We stayed here at the Bed and Breakfast. It was us and all the in-laws. We watched movies and played games. We had a bomb fire and overall just had fun.
Thanksgiving Day Julie and I took the grandkids out to play and to keep out from underfoot.
We made a friend on the way to the park to play.
We went over to the diner for Thanksgiving dinner.
Can we say Pie! They had several different kind of pie...and I'm happy to confess I tried a little of each :)
That next day we headed out to Nauvoo. I hadn't been there since Valory and I made our grand trip across country after our BYU graduation in 2003. It was a truly lovely experience. I love the Smith's. They are such wonderful people. A family away from family.
I went to the temple
And later we went on a horse and buggy tour with some of the Senior missionaries. SO much fun!
Nauvoo really is City Beautiful. Right on the Mississippi River. Even in early winter the landscape and atmosphere is brilliant!
We started out in Tampico, IL (the birth place of Ronald Reagan) where Julie's brother's in-laws own a bed and breakfast and a diner.
We stayed here at the Bed and Breakfast. It was us and all the in-laws. We watched movies and played games. We had a bomb fire and overall just had fun.
Thanksgiving Day Julie and I took the grandkids out to play and to keep out from underfoot.
We made a friend on the way to the park to play.
We went over to the diner for Thanksgiving dinner.
Can we say Pie! They had several different kind of pie...and I'm happy to confess I tried a little of each :)
That next day we headed out to Nauvoo. I hadn't been there since Valory and I made our grand trip across country after our BYU graduation in 2003. It was a truly lovely experience. I love the Smith's. They are such wonderful people. A family away from family.
I went to the temple
And later we went on a horse and buggy tour with some of the Senior missionaries. SO much fun!
Nauvoo really is City Beautiful. Right on the Mississippi River. Even in early winter the landscape and atmosphere is brilliant!Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Time Square Dinner
After the boat tour, we were all starving...
We made our way over to Time Square looking for a place to eat. It was crazy busy, but what did you expect on a Saturday night in New York City. Finally we found a place at a Rudy Tuesdays. It was packed but the food was great and company fun.
Thus ended our first full day in New York City. We got home about 11pm or so...tired!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
June 27th - Boad Tour
Since the Empire State Building took less time then anticipated we ended up with some extra time. Grandma was interested in going on a boat tour. So with our handing map and some help from a local we made our way to the piers. It was kind of stressful for a while there, but we made it (just barely) onto the last 3 hour tour...very relaxing.
They had a gentleman describing what we saw and told stories about the area.
We went by the Intrepid. Someday we're going to go back and actually take a tour of it. How COOL would that be?!
It rained hard, but breifly and then we were treated with this lovely view.
Melanie informs me that we went under a total of 27 bridges during our tour. The most notable being the B. M. W. (Brooklyn, Manhattan, Williamsburg)
I would recommend a boat tour, or at least a ride on the Ferry to anyone who visits NY.June 27th - Empire State Building
After the temple we gathered the rest of our group and headed out to the Empire State Building. We bought our tickets online to try to save time, but we given an even greater break because we were with Melanie's grandma. Grandma couldn't walk well and standing in line would have been really hard on her so they let us go ahead in line. What was expected to take SEVERAL hours only took us about 90 minutes.
It was impressive. The view was amazing. Looking down was almost enough to give you vertigo.
Looking down...
Looking up...
Looking out...
Good times! I felt like I could fly!
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