last year in my 20's

29. This is the year. The last year I have to claim youth. Thirty is middle-aged. It is not young. Well, it depends on whose view you look from, but rarely does one refer to a thirty-something as being young. While I believe you are as youthful as you want to be at any time in life,  I will never be in my twenties again. And so for my last year of being a 20-something, I would like to go out with style. To achieve something awesome and to look better than I normally do.  For my last youthful year,  I promise to laugh more, smile more, play with my kids more, work harder to stay fit and eat healthier, and to continue spontaneity. I am training for a half marathon, will run it in September. Also, I am playing on a co-ed soccer team with Matthias, that's gotta keep me young. 

Me, happy on my 29th Birthday. My gift this year, an ipad. Thank you all. I love it.

Ty made me breakfast with a little note attached: for mom. What a sweetheart.

beach + me

I am going to Hawaii. Wait, let me try that again. I AM GOING TO HAWAII!!! My dear, charming Matthias has granted me a trip to Hawaii . . . kid free! "Kid free" means that someone has to be with the kids - and so it is Matthias who has volunteered to watch them for a week while I bask in the glory of the sun on the beaches of Kauai. I am joining my parents and a few other extended family members. I have known about the trip for a bit, but tonight it became all too real for me as I realized I only have one swimsuit and no suntan lotion. I can't express how excited I am to go on this trip - my first away from the kids and my first time to Hawaii. Can you imagine? Well, I am trying, and I just don't think my imagination knows how to imagine anything this fabulous yet. I've heard that all I need to take is a swimsuit and a toothbrush. Sounds good to me. I can't thank Matthias enough, I am truly in his debt.

sweet shoes

I sailed to a yard last weekend and look what I found. Apparently Grandma died and all her stuff got put out on the lawn with neat little price tags attached. There were costume jewelry and sweaters galore, a walker with tennis balls attached to the wheels, a shower chair, old furniture, etc. I scored these beauties for one dollar. They can go with about any outfit I've got. However, these flats are a little large for my size 7 feet. If any of you are dying for a pair of these and are a size 7.5 or 8, give me a buzz and I might pass them along to you. I am getting a little attached though, so you better hurry.

Indiana yard sales are fun. But you better go early for the good stuff, it goes rather quickly. The worst yard sales are the ones with bins of stuffed animals and car seats. The best ones occur right after Grandma dies and her kids are trying to suck every last penny out of her, seriously. That's where the gold mine is. This may sound insensitive, yes, but it's the truth out here.

YW in excellence

Young Women in Excellence was last month. Here are some cute pictures of our whopping 4 Young Women. Janelle (top left) is our only Laurel. She is an amazing artist, volleyball player, and is on the tennis team. She has crazy style, kinda like you would see a cool librarian wearing, mismatching but unbelievably cute. Mikayla (top right) is one of my Miamaids and she is the bomb. She wants to be a clothing designer when she grows up. She's the best babysitter ever, is a text sending machine, and is the sweetest girl ever. I love her polka-dot sneaks. Victoria (bottom left) is my other Miamaid. She writes for the Herald Times once a week, is super witty, plays volleyball and throws the shot put. She's a go getter and all about girl power. She actually planned the entire YW in Excellence for her value project. She wouldn't even let me make refreshments. Reagan (bottom right) is our brand spankin' new Young Woman. She is so funny and happy and spastic. She LOVES music and is always jammin' out to her ipod.

Although we are few in numbers, we are a really tight group. These girls are so different from each other, but are so accepting, encouraging, and loving towards each other. I love them all!

And here is a picture of the lovely leaders. (It's funny how we outnumber the girls at every activity.) Left to Right: Eva (Personal Progress leader), Beth (President), Geniel (2nd), me (1st), Jennifer (Secretary.) I feel a little silly at times because of the age gap between these ladies and I but they are great cuz they don't make me feel like a little girl, except for the time that I was the only leader that would take the girls on a bike ride. I guess that is why they need me.

A+ pearly whites

I felt victorious today as I walked out of the dentist's office with nothing to do but lick my sparkling clean teeth, smile, and drive home. No cavities, no future cavity filling appointments. My dentist told me I got an A+ and that he didn't have any suggestions for me, but to keep doing what I am doing. It was a little weird how it felt sooooo good to hear that. Maybe it's because I am feeling like I am not getting A's, but B's, C's, D's, and even F's in the other areas of my life - that to hear I am perfect in one area (the oral hygiene area to be exact), made me smile!

Andrea's Report Card

returning phone calls - C

exercising and healthy eating - B

oral hygiene - A

returning friends dishes - F

mom skills today - B

blogging frequency (according to my family) - F

good fashion sense - D

100 things about me

Here are 100 things about me in celebration of my 1ooth post! WARNING: This is lengthy, but has a lot of stuff you prob would never know otherwise. Here goes:

1. I prefer mornings over evenings. I am a sucker for chirping birds, dawn, cool air, and outdoor smell. I am most optimistic and do my best thinking in the mornings.
   
2. I love treats.
3. I have been married for 7 years. Married 11 days after my 19th Bday. I can't believe how young I was, my dad still teases Matthias that he robbed the cradle. I wouldn't trade it for anything though. It's been a fun 7 years!
4. I love being with friends - having girl talk - a house full of boys doesn't give me much opportunity for girly things some times.
5. I am a pretty low maintenance wife (I think!) as long as I know what time Matthias is going to be home, I am fine! Matthias gives me a lot of freedom, so I try to do the same for him.
6. Watching a movie during the weekend is one of my favorite things to do - whether it be at home or at the theater. These days. the theatre trips are infrequent due to the 2 little boys who live upstairs.
7. I love being crafty, but have found that I am finishing projects only 1/2 way these days. I have a quilt that is 2+ years still in the making. Everything is done except the binding.
   
8. I have two little boys that make me laugh and smile every day, but who can also make me cry and scream at times too.
   
9. I love teaching kids, it is one of my passions. I graduated in Elementary Education (magna cum laude, hooray for me!). It is one of my favorite things to be creative in!
10. I make my own bread.
    
11. I am the opposite of a pack rat... I throw away things too easily at times. I love de-cluttering. Less is more to me.
12. Right now I serve in the Young Women's organization... I love working with the youth! They are so happy and fun, and facing difficult decisions with courage and optimism.
13. I am a loud talker. On the phone especially, I unconsciously bump it up a few notches.
14. I hate sarcasm - the kind used at the expense of others. I just can't be at ease or go along with sarcasm at times. I don't know why it bugs me, but it does.
15. I am very gullible. If you tell me something, I will definitely believe you. This characteristic of mine at times has left me feeling dumb or embarrassed. It's not that I am an idiot, but that I believe people will tell me the truth.
16. If I could have 2 jobs, I would be a professional swing dancer, and work in culinary arts.
17. I love getting to know people, and love people who show an interest in wanting to know about me.
    
18. I can wear socks around the house that are 1/2 way of falling off or turned around backwards. Matthias hates it, but I never notice.
19. I am a stress eater... if I am super stressed out and there is chocolate around, I will eat it. all.
20. Yellow is my favorite color. I think it started because when my brothers and I were little and playing the game "SORRY," Brad liked red, Eric already liked blue, so it was green or yellow for me, and yellow seemed the closest to being a girl color. It has always stuck with me. I love wearing it, and decorating with it.
21. I was born and raised in West Jordan, UT.
    
22. Indiana is the first place that I have lived outside of Utah. I have found a new love for exploring... and don't know if I will ever find my way back to Utah permanently.
    
23. I secretly wish my name was spelled Andria. I don't know why, but I just wish it was.
24. Some of my character flaws: keeping it all in til I explode, being an all or nothing person, when I want to get something fixed - I want it done now and can't focus on anything else until it is fixed. I get a bad case of the grumpies when I can't exercise or don't have any time to myself.
25. I am really bad at drinking water. I get headaches from this. It is such a simple thing to do, I don't know what my problem is.
26. I preach all this stuff about being eco friendly, but lately have been frustrated with the fact that it seems to be an expensive effort. Expensive local food, recycling costs me gas money, buying eco friendly products that should be cheaper but aren't. Why are recycled paper towels twice as much?
    
27. I belong to the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day-Saints. The church outside of Utah is so fun and very exciting. It is our family away from family.
28. I have been to Norway.
    
29. I hate being stared at.
30. I have a phobia of murky water... I don't like to walk on the beach and have the tide rush onto my feet because I can't see what is in it: snakes, dead fish, jutting logs...
    
31. The ways I would least prefer to die is drowning and cancer.
    
32. I had braces when I was 15. Thank you mom and dad.
33. I wish I were skinnier than I am.
34. My favorite season has always been the fall. Summer is fun, but gets too hot for comfort for me.
35. Matthias tells me I am a back seat driver.
36. The only day I wear make-up is on Sunday.
    
37. The two things I misplace the most are my keys and my cell phone.
    
38. I love having my back tickled. It puts me to sleep.
39. My favorite kind of food is something I haven't tried yet. Followed up with a dessert of course.
40. If I ever have a little girl, I want to name her Hazel.
41. The thing I want most for my boys is for them to be happy, strong, and independent.
42. I am a good listener.
43. People think I am outgoing, but actually it is that when I feel uncomfortable around someone, I just start asking them a lot of questions. I don't know why, a nervous habit I guess.
44. I hate doing the dishes. When they pile up, I try to hide from them. I won't cook a meal until they are done. I wish I could hire a professional dish washer.
45. If I could go anywhere, I would go to South America.
    
46. I really want to learn Spanish - so bad!
47. I am a stomach sleeper.
48. Someday I would love to own one really expensive piece of art. An original.
49. I am 26 and am feeling it! I used to feel so young at 25 - -- 26 rounds up to 30.
50. I don't like owning books, because why pay for them if you can check them out at the library? Children's books are a different story. I sometimes wonder if I really buy them for me or the kids.
51. My favorite body part is my smile. I like to smile.
52. I hate confrontation. I am not witty and never have a comeback.
53. I want to go back to school someday... get a master's degree... in I don't know what, but I loved my undergrad experience.
54. I love staying at home with my kids. We have a lot of fun together and get to do a lot together. It seems sometimes they have such charmed lives with all that they get to do.
    
55. My feet are small. Size 6 1/2.
56. I am over a foot shorter than my husband.
57. I like to ride my bike - for exercise and commuting.
58. My hair is longer right now than it has ever been and I love it.
59. I love watching Matthias play soccer. The only reason I love LA Galaxy over RSL is because of David Beckham.
60. I wouldn't say I am a good cook, but am very adventurous and like to try new recipes.
61. I like free things.
62. I like to blog, but don't think my blogs are very entertaining.
63. I like to make things. If I see something I like, but it is expensive, then I will try to make it myself.
64. I love planning parties... for kids mostly.
65. We don't have TV. It's a waste of my time.
66. I love little kids and babies, but don't want another baby for a long time. (after grad school). I do fear that between Beckham and the next baby, there will be too big of a gap. I don't know how I feel about starting all over again with a new born.
    
67. I love to go camping, but not when it is too extreme. i.e.: big flying bugs freak me out.
68. My favorite holiday is Halloween despite the fact that my husband refuses to participate in dressing up.
    
69. I am so excited to spend our first Christmas here in Indiana. (We love you family!)
70. I love going to the Idaho cabin. One of my favorite places to be.
71. Sometimes I wish I had freckles. They are so cute.
72. My two babies were born early - three weeks, and four weeks. Both times my water broke in the middle of the night.
73. I was in a car accident right after we got married that totaled our truck. Not my fault.
74. I get intimidated when people use big words I don't understand. Yet, I never try to find out what they mean, I just act like I am following.
75. I hate cleaning old food out of the fridge. We are pretty good about not wasting, but I will usually set out the old food containers, and Matthias will do the dirty work.
76. I love having colored pens around the house.
    
77. I have issues with walking on grass that is not well manicured. I haven't found any well manicured lawns out here in Indiana... so I always wear my shoes.
78. I have seasonal allergies.
79. Gas prices are freaking me out. Almost every morning at 8:45 I listen to a report on the radio about gas, and I feel so helpless.
80. I don't like wearing jewelry anymore (except on Sundays.)
81. I used to teach swim lessons.
82. Car rides put me to sleep.
83. I love having little boys, and all boyish things involved: bugs, sports, transformers, super-heroes.
    
84. I want 4 kids.
85. My favorite garden flower is a red geranium.
    
86. I love making a nice, fancy, sit down Sunday Dinner.
87. I always get water for dinner at a restaurant, but will sip on Matthias' lemonade.
88. Seeing blood makes me squeamish - it is getting worse as I get older.
89. I have three brothers. No sisters. I fall third in line. (But do have 4 lovely sister-in-laws!)
90. I know everyone says they love naps, but I really really do. I take one about every day while Beckham naps.
91. As much as I complain about law school and all the hardships, I really love the student lifestyle at times. I can say this because it is summer right now!
92. I would love to live out of the country for a little while.
    
93. I am not competitive. I always feel bad for the team or person that looses.
    
94. I have been assaulted with an office desk pen cannister. The lady that threw it at me went to jail for 3 months.
95. I have a knee injury from running.
96. I have scars from chicken pocks.
97. I ran a half marathon.
98. I am a pretty good swimmer.
99. My 3 most favorite people in the world are Matthias, Ty, and Beckham.
100. I hope I make it to heaven!
     

tagging of my purse

My friend Ola tagged me with this out of the ordinary tagging requirement: take a pic of your purse and it's contents. And I'll add on a second requirement: you can't take out or add to the contents for the picture. I'm not big on tags, but I think this one is funny and somewhat shows a person's personality. I really do love my new purse from Matthias - he got it for me in NY- and I have been wanting to show it off!

Purse: counterfeit designer purse from Canal Street, NY

• red checkbook/wallet which includes ID, checks, cards, change, pen
  
• Reeses Pieces - empty of course
  
• receipts
• Lip Smackers Aztec Punch chapstick - for the boys
• Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush lip gloss (Lotta Colada)- for me- it will be lost in two weeks I'm sure.
  
• Kroger Coupons - good intentions
  
• Envelope of paychecks that I keep forgetting to cash!
• Last week's Grocery List
  
• 4 sunscreen packets (SPF 30) - I hate it when I forget to bring sunscreen for the boys when we go to the park.
  
• cell phone - wow, there it is!

I would love to see Sarah, Sus, Kendra (because she makes her own purses), mmcd's, Keri, Heather, Karrie S., Lenzi & Lindsay do this.

PS... the only reason it doesn't have much in it as of today is because I just put everything into it a couple of days ago. It hasn't had a chance to become the bottomless pit of receipts, wrappers, and toys. You know, missing every call because I can't find my phone in there.

dreamy day

Yesterday was an AMAZING day for me!! Let me tell you about it.

I ran a 10k race (Enlisted Dining Out) with my friend Linnea. The course went around the 181st Fighter Wing of the Terra Haute International Airport - Hulman Field. It took about an hr to get out there and another hr to get back, but it was so great so just hang out with Linnea and run the race. At the first turn-off in the race, everyone went the wrong way and soon the leader figured it out, so he turned us all around. I think we went an extra quarter mile. But we finished right around 57 minutes, so we were really proud of ourselves for the time considering the extra mileage!

Later that evening I got to go to dinner and to EVITA with Linnea also! It was payday I think for both of us after a couple of hard months at home with the kids. Evita was amazing! We were on the 2nd row! I can't get the song "I'd be Surprisingly Good for You" out of my head. Love it! Dinner was fantastic (a quaint little Italian resturuant called Ragazzi Arte Cafe.) They had a live band - accordion type music.

Of course I can't not say thanks enough to Matthias for being so great with the boys all day. When I got home from the race, it smelled like a freshly baked cake in our house. He had made waffles for breakfast for the boys - from scratch!! What a superstar!

me time

I haven't posted in the last week because I haven't felt like saying much - we had a really eventful week last week (preschool, Ty's ear infection, play group, library,YMCA family fun night, Chocolate Week festivities, zoo, running 8 miles, swimming, Super Fun Friday, etc.) but for some reason I just feel wordless. And sometimes I feel like all I do is talk about my kids and what we do- then that makes me feel like I really don't have a life outside of my kids... Like all I am is a mom - don't get me wrong, it is the best, but seriously a girl gosta have some self time. So I am going try to think of three things that I did for myself last week:

1. exercised 5 days - woot woot (3 runs and 2 swims)
2. cooked like a maniac: dutch oven bbq ribs; dutch oven chili (thanks for the DO lessons dad!); chocolate ganache made into hot chocolate, orange roughy seared on bacon with balsamic vinegar, honey & rosemary; lemon/coconut bread pudding; chicken-andouille file gumbo; orzo with lemon, garlic, parmigiano & herbs; and fregola with wild mushrooms, sherry & cream. Yes, the food was for the fam, but cooking it was for me.
3. I seriously can't think of a third - I guess a short nap, but that doesn't count!

So here are 3 things that I would like to do for myself this week:
1. Get my quilt top out and finish it (without kids around me).
2. Of course exercise.
3. Go on a date with the husband.

We'll see what happens...

ooooh ooooh #4 - find New Moon and finish the last two chapters! Does anyone have a copy? Help a sista out!

comfy

Since we have been back in Indiana for winter semester, I have been wearing nothing but comfy clothes: sweats, tees, hoodies, beanies, etc. For some reason when it gets really cold outside, I want nothing to do with dressing up (except my once a week Sunday dress time which I love getting all dolled up for). So here are 3 things that make me comfy in the cold weather:

I bought a couple pair of fleece lined knickers from Target. I can't stop wearing them. This model makes them look dorky though.

My new Bonfire beanie that, lately, I wear on all bad hair days or 3rd-day-hair days if ya know what I mean. This model also does not do the hat justice. It looks much cuter on me. :)

New car scraper enclosed in a glove. Every girl needs one. Each morning that I have to scrape my car windows (which is every morning lately) I silently thank my mother-in-law for giving me this for Christmas.

Guest Blogger (blogging without Anj's informed consent)

Without violating any sort of privacy laws, I am able to post on Anj's blog. (You see, she uses my computer sometimes and forgets to log out, leaving me with all sorts of access) Anyways, I figured I would take a moment and add a quick comment to the blog, lauding the qualities of the host blogger.

Few are aware of the many skills, qualities and overall amazingness of Anj the way I am. I think it appropriate to remind her of her amazingness. Here are a few of the aspects that contribute to the Fabulousness of Anj:

She is a fantastic mother! She meticulously and lovingly cares for our two little (ironically, also amazing like their mother) boys. I am pretty sure that part of the reason our country has an illegal immigration problem is because those living outside the U.S. hear of her remarkable mothering abilities and decide that, despite the costs and sacrifice, they would be better off living in the same country as her.


She has perfected the role of wife. Let's see . . . very smart, very creative, very very beautiful, very patient, very kind, very considerate, very hard worker, very stylish, very good cook, very healthy, very much likes to and knows how to have fun, very upbeat, very energetic, very adventerous, very attractive, very happy, very pretty smile, very pretty hair, very nice / supportive /friendly in-laws that were part of the package, very good listener, and very stunningly beautiful. (this list is not exhaustive nor all-inclusive)

She is a great friend. I know because we are friends and as far as friends go she is great!

Finally, and before I offend my guest blogging privileges, I will close by saying that I count myself blessed to be married to this wonderful person. As I am reminded from time to time, and certainly aware of, sans the reminder, I married above myself and I have no argument with that!

Love you Anj!