Tucson Highlights

Departure: Friday, February 17th 3:30pm. I knocked on Shalia's door and was introduced to my new friends and traveling companions: Nathaniel, Amanda, and Phil. After gathering some last-minute snacks and saying a prayer, we jumped on the I-15 headed towards Tucson, AZ.

In the car: we all seemed to enjoy quiet contemplation intermixed with jovial conversation and stories. Like always, I brought my journal with hopes to write but ended up reading instead. The sun was setting fast so I didn't have much time for daylight car activites anyway. For the first portion of the drive, I was entertained by Amanda's sketches of Nathaniel and Shalia. She is such a talented artist!

Moment of spontaneity: Along highway 89 we were all dazzled by the snow covered landscape. The sun was barely hovering over the mountains, making the snow glitter and the sky turn a soft, clear blue. The snow had fallen on fields of small dormant plants in a way that made them look like cotton bushes extending for miles. It was such an incredible sight! Since the view was so inviting, I impulsively shouted "let's pull over and play in the snow!"....silence...."come on guys, no one wants to jump in the snow with me?" Thankfully, Nathaniel was intrigued enough to convince the others to join us. Phil parked the car and out we went. The air was cool and fresh but the snow was bone-chilling. I was foolish enough to run out there in flip flops. Needless to say, I couldn't feel my feet after 30 seconds. We had a blast rolling around, throwing snowballs and snapping a few pictures.

Back in the car: Amanda was kind enough to lend me some socks to warm up my feet, thank you thank you thank you! Energized from our escapade, we chatted gleefully until we stopped in Panguitch for gas and Arby's. Phil's the man, he drove for 6 hours! But once we reached Page, I happily took over the driving for a 3 hour shift. Time flies by when you're the driver instead of a passenger, I love it. I think it was somewhere close to Prescott where we stopped to get ice cream at a Mcdonald's that was all out of ice cream....seriously? How convenient.

Bucket list check: For the first time ever, I sunk my teeth right into a green bell pepper and took out a hefty chunk; no ranch dip and no cooking involved. The taste was surprisingly delightful. "check"

Adrenaline rush: Saturday morning at 3:30am. Shalia turns onto La Cholla Rd, and we're about one minute away from my brother's house. Being the goofball that he is, Phil decides to fake-throw a pillow at Shalia's face and in response, Shalia decides to swerve the car one, two, three times. On the third swerve, we hear tires squeal and Shalia loses all control over the steering. Time stops as the car spins across La Cholla and all I can think is "please don't let anything bad happen to us." I squeeze Amanda's hand as metal crunches from impact and the car abruptly comes to a halt. The smell of rubber invades the air and dust covers our view from the outside. After checking on each other's physical and emotional states, we crawl out of the car to examine the damage. The rear bumper and trunk are forged into a Palo Verde tree, and all four tires are buried in soft desert sand. Phil and Nathaniel work on loosening branches from the back end of the car, while I gather rocks to place in front of the tires. Shalia continues to apologize profusely but we all assure her that we're perfectly fine. After several attempts, and expert maneuvering from Phil, he was able to propel the car back onto the road. Miraculously, the only damage done was cosmetic and we resumed our path to my brother's house.

Saturday: I crashed on the couch in the living room until about 6:30am when two adorable and very loud little boys came running out of their room to wake me up. I was so happy to see their bright, smiley faces!! I watched them play with all sorts of different toys while I slowly came out of my drowsiness. Every few minutes I could extract enough energy to shoot a basket or tickle them but for the most part I just sat and watched them show off. Once Christopher was awake, I got the boys dressed so we could go outside and play! Brendan had been begging to ride his bike without training wheels so his daddy decided to give it a try! I was so happy to be there for that experience. Brendan was really frustrated with himself because he couldn't get it, but I was so proud of him for trying. I think he liked riding Cason's tricycle instead because he could pedal a whole lot faster, and without any help.

Cason, Brendan, and I took turns chasing each other up and down the street. Brendan thought he was the coolest thing on the block when he discovered that he could pedal over the rocks as well as the sidewalk.

Brendan

Cason

Goodbye: Saying goodbye to my nieces and nephews is always the hardest part of visiting family. I'll never forget how Brendan and Cason looked and sounded as I knelt down to give them hugs and kisses. "bye Angeea, I'm going to miss you!" "bye Angeea, love you!" I waved to them from the car and smiled at their sad faces pressed against the window. As I choked back tears, Makena asked "are they always naked?" haha yes, yes they are :) 

Soaking up the desert: One of the things I look forward to the most when I go to Tucson is simply being in the beautiful Sonoran desert. The sunsets are breath-taking and the night sky is mesmerizing. I can not adequately describe how much I love this place. When I'm there, I feel at peace and every fiber of my being calmly tells me that I'm home. I can still recall exactly how it felt to cruise around Christopher's neighborhood on Amanda's bike. The sun was bright and radiant, the wind was warm and gentle against my skin, and the air was clearer than glass. Although it's technically winter, the vegetation still looks alive and thriving. What a stark contrast from gray, cold, and smoggy Provo!  

Nostalgia: I got to eat at Eegee's! I had been craving this deliciousness for months! I was so elated to finally be eating my favorite fast food! Makena and I caught up with each other as we stuffed 

ourselves with as much Eegee's as our stomachs could handle! It was splendid.

Night on 4th Ave: Makena and I met up with Delaney, Caitlin, and Trenton downtown. We had fun handing out sandwiches to "street people" and observing some interesting folk do all sorts of strange things. We wanted to host an impromptu dance party on a street corner but I can't remember why that never happened...maybe next time.

For some reason, Delaney and I love finding awkward positions for pictures; it's like our trademark or something. 

Sunday: I woke up early so I could spend the morning visiting with my mom. I drove over to her house, greeted my favorite dogs, and talked to her while she prepared food for the evening.
Delaney picked me up from Christopher's house and we went to church together. I got to see some familiar, loving faces that I've been missing for a while. It always feels good to visit my home ward.

me, Jamee, and Rusty

I was so happy to see these newlyweds! Jamee is one of my best friends from beauty school. Sadly, I wasn't able to make it to their wedding, so it was really nice to finally give my congratulations in person. They are such a sweet, happy couple!

Makena and me

Sunday evening: I really wish I would have taken more pictures! :'(

I spent time with Josh, Lindsey, Christopher, Amanda, Brendan, Cason, my mom, Richard, Jamee, Rusty, Makena, Amber, and Garrett. We enjoyed my mom's home-style cooking, and the little ones played in the hot tub like it was a giant bath. I really enjoyed watching Amber open her wedding shower gift and I had fun doing Amanda's hair. But of course, the greatest part was just being with people I love!

Monday: I woke up that morning and all I wanted to do was sit outside and read as the sun came up over the mountains...so that's exactly what I did. Oh my gooooodness, it was so wonderful! As cheesy as it sounds, the birds were singing and the air was calm and quiet. The temperature was that perfect combination of coolness from a night of darkness and heat from the rising sun. I wish I could have stayed on our lounge chair in the backyard ALL DAY but I had some packing to do, and I desperately needed a shower. darn. Before going to lunch with my mom, Makena and I squeezed in some time to hit up the mall.

Bucket List Half-check: I have always dreamed of sipping milk straight from a coconut on the beach in Hawaii. And while I didn't get to do that in Tucson, I came the closest I ever have to experiencing it. As I was waiting for Shalia and Phil to come get me, I spent some time browsing through Trader Joe's and I came across this:

100% pure coconut water. When I saw these on the shelf, it's as if I could hear angels singing...or maybe I was singing? I'm not sure. My excitement overshadowed the ridiculously high price and I immediately walked over to the cashier to purchase it. Outside the store, I parked my shopping cart by a bench and twisted open my "Zico" water. Anticipation and thrill raged through me as I took my first sip. To my dismay, those feelings were quickly replaced with disappointment and repugnance. I would have rather tasted dirt than that stuff. It was revolting. The best way I can describe this stuff is cloudy, bitter water that somehow dehydrates your mouth and leaves you craving anything remotely sweet or juicy. I almost puked. I still remain hope that fresh coconut milk on the beach will taste heavenly. "half-check"

One last rush of adrenaline: It was around 8:30pm and I had been driving for the last 4 hours. We were about 25 miles outside of Flagstaff, going through some winding mountainous roads. At this particular time, the vehicle was accelerating downhill so I checked behind me, then got in the left lane in order to pass an 18-wheeler. Keep in mind that the speed limit is 75, there are no street lights, and the roads are curving around hills and mountains. It's the perfect recipe for danger. All of a sudden, headlights were reflecting off the rear-view mirror and blinding my eyes. "woah" I thought, "where did this guy come from? I would get in the right lane so he can pass me, but I'll hit the semi truck if I do that." As I'm thinking this, those headlights drifted to the side of me and I realized that this idiot was trying to pass me! I took note that the distance between my car and the semi truck in the right lane was alarmingly close. My heart stopped and I moved my foot over to the breaks. My hands gripped tightly around the steering wheel and my eyes became glued to this truck that not only had a long-bed, but was also towing a trailer. How this jerk thought he could squeeze in front of me is incomprehensible. *bam* the car veered to the left. "holy s***!" Phil jolted up from his seat and looked at me "you know that guy just hit us, right?" "yeah, I know." I already had the pedal pushed down as far as it could go and was determined to get this guy's license plate number. Nathaniel called the Highway patrol, but it was useless. This guy had an engine twice the size as mine and he disappeared within seconds. I still tried to catch up with him for a couple more minutes but we all knew he was going way too fast. As soon as I could, I exited the 17 and pulled into a gas station so I could walk off my jitters and the boys could asses the blow. I know we had angels protecting us, because that car should have been more damaged than it was. There was a slight dent above the front right tire, and some paint was scraped off but that's it. I was shocked that nothing happened to the tire. Guardian angels are the only explanation.

Back in Provo: we arrived in town at 4:30am Tuesday morning. It was freezing and poor Phil only had thirty minutes to rest before going to work. We were already missing Arizona. Well, honestly, I always miss Arizona. I am grateful for our short, fun-filled weekend and I look forward to the next time I get to go back! I <3 you, Tucson AZ.

Apartment 14

Hello blogging world! We are apartment 14, and we'd like to share our ideal, dream lives with you.

Jessica will marry Spock, live on the moon, and write novels about being married to a half-alien. She and Spok will operate a Starship and live happily ever after with 7 little Spoklings.

Andrea will marry Ryan Reynolds and live on the border of Oregon and Washington in a cozy cottage where they can hike, swim, and explore together. Her vehicle of choice is a fast red convertible so the wind can blow in her hair when the top is down. She'll be the owner of a children's performing arts studio where kids will learn to love God, life, and music. Her pride will come from mothering 4 adopted and 4 biological children.

Ke'ala and her husband, Jason Mraz, will live in a Hobbit house in Africa where she can wear flowy dresses and no shoes. She'll be a social worker/leader of a humanitarian organization that will spread love, medicine, good food, happy thoughts, and more love to the world...and teach people to love the earth. We, her roommates, will graffiti and donate a hybrid hippy bus for her to drive around in if she ever needs it. She'll be the mother of 4 biological kids and 2 adopted kids so everyone has a buddy when they go to Disneyland.

Brooke will marry Tim Tebow. They'll live on a big ranch house in Texas with horses, close enough to the city so she can still go shopping. They'll have 5 boys that like to play in the mud, wrestle, play football, and never grow up. Brooke will be a part-time school teacher, part-time Super model, and drive a lifted red Jeep Wrangler.

Analee is going to marry Josh Duhamel...after he leaves Fergie, of course. They'll live just outside Sydney, Australia in a treehouse overlooking the ocean. Her 4 boys and 1 girl will all be cute skateboarder babies. She'll be a surfer/fashion designer and drive around the island in a turquoise Twinkie Volkswagon van.

Miriam will marry Thor and turn him into a cowboy. They'll live on a big farm with lots of pigs in a giant farmhouse that she'll restore into a beautiful mansion. They'll have 3 boys and 2 girls, some of which will be adopted. She'll be the owner of a hair salon and a black F-350 Super Duty. And her husband will carry her everywhere she wants to go.

In case you are wondering, it was our apartment's turn to introduce ourselves to the apartment complex and we wanted to do it in a fun and creative way. We had such a great time laughing, imagining and dreaming! I just had to share the joy with y'all!

Shopping Day

I've been experiencing some serious shopping withdrawals lately but thank goodness Miriam had a birthday so I was able to go to the mall to purchase her present!! It was a glorious and splendid treatment.
I'm sorry if this exposes too much personal information, but I LOVE VICTORIA'S SECRET! Their stuff is the best in the market, and you feel fabulous wearing it. Analee and I spent a good two hours in that store alone. We both walked out feeling more girly and beautiful than ever. Victoria's Secret is the best place to go for a "pick-me-up." I was already feeling great that day, but shopping there boosted my spirits through the atmosphere and into space! To women everywhere, I encourage you to treat yourself to a Victoria's Secret shopping spree because you deserve to feel like the sexy woman you are. And don't let those airbrushed super models plastered on the walls make you feel any less drop-dead-gorgeous.
Analee and I only made it to one other store before we had to go home, where I found this ridiculously gold and sparkly dress. The things people wear these days are fascinating to me; I couldn't resist taking a picture of it. In defense of those who would buy this dress, I think it could sorta be cute with the right accessories, and a classy demeanor.
Shopping rocks :) 




Update on my trip to Tucson this past weekend is in the works...

squeal squeal squeal

DAAAHHHHHHH I'm so HAPPY!
I'll be in VEGAS, BABY in nine days! Waahoooo! I am stoked! The company I'm working for is taking us all on a pre-season sales trip, so it's going to require a lot of work, but don't you doubt that I'll fit in as much pleasure as I can!
My SAT scores are in! I ended up earning a much higher score than expected! 3 cheers for answered prayers!
Our apartment is sparkling clean! Ahhhh :) And I replaced all of the old yellow light bulbs with bright white beaming energy efficient ones! I LOVE light!
Yesterday, I ate the sweetest, most delicious red grapefruit my tongue has ever tasted. My mouth is watering from the memory. It reminded me of home<3 and our robust grapefruit tree. Then, I ate carrot chips, which also reminded me of home<3 and of yanking carrots out of the dry dirt garden my dad built along side of the house. Home-grown carrots are a thousand times better than store bought ones, btw.
All of this nostalgia made me even more THRILLED to be going HOME this weekend! Oh Sonoran dessert, how I've missed your warmth and soft beauty.
My plans for today consist of eating, exercising, and packing for our ROADTRIP!! We'll (I'm going with one friend and three strangers) be in Tucson early tomorrow morning :D and soon after that, I'll be playing with the most adorable boys in the world!
This Valentine's day was filled with love, service, and delight; what a sweet change from V-days past.
Yesterday was my last day working for All Purpose Cleaners! I AM FREEEEE! "free fallin, fallin....now I'm frrEeEeEeE free fallin, fallin" (I love ya, John Mayer) No more allergies, no more asthma attacks, no more beer spillage on my hands, no more hard-labor for little pay, no more reek of cleaning chemicals in my car. I am DONE.
I can comfortably wear shorts and short sleeves in 45 degree weather. Yesss. Our body's ability to change and adapt is phenomenal.
I ate pizza for two dinners this week. When you no longer have money for things like take-out or pedicures, pizza becomes a delicacy. Ohhh YUM.
I studied Alma chapters 40-42 in the Book of Mormon for Institute last night. TALK ABOUT POWER! I love the doctrines found in these chapters. If the English language had a stronger word than love to describe my feelings about those doctrines, I would use it. So, you might be thinking "what exactly are these things Andrea is talking about?" great question! So this guy named Alma, who was an ancient prophet, is talking to his son Corianton about the most incredible aspects of Heavenly Father's plan for His children.. Namely, the RESURRECTION, FALL OF ADAM, and the ATONEMENT. WOO! I get so pumped thinking about these things! Mostly because these truths bring peace to my soul. I know that in fact, "the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, are taken home to that God who gave them life." Alma 40:11 We will all see God again!!! It's so wonderful to know that because of Jesus Christ, my spirit and body will be reunited forever and I will never again have to experience pain and suffering. I also know that because I will see my Maker again, I must try and work and labor with all my soul to be worthy of His glory.   I love contemplating the infinite LOVE of our Father in Heaven. My mind is blown.
LIFE IS SO FUN!

1:11 am

Make a wish!....just kidding. I don't do that silly stuff.
I'm tired but I can't sleep. But I'm living what could either be considered a dream or a nightmare...I'm acting exactly like my dad! Two of my roommates still aren't home and I can't go to bed until I know they're safe in their beds. Oh geez, it has already started...I'm turning into my parents!!!!! My dad used to do the same thing when we were kids, and it would make me feel so guilty to come home a few minutes past curfew to a very sleepy and concerned father. Apparently my kids are going to experience the same thing.
I also can't sleep because I had a fantastic evening and I can't seem to force myself to calm down. I really, really love my life sometimes.

Check it.

I'm almost famous

Can we be REAL?

February 17th is my last day working for All Purpose Cleaners!!! WOOOO HOOOOOO! Farewell to being taken advantage of! I can endure these last couple weeks because the end is in sight! Ahhh yes, I am so relieved.
Some thoughts I've been pondering recently: No one is honest about how difficult life really is. I wonder why? (I have my theories) No one warns you that you'll never live the life you have planned. I'm grateful for the life I have, but every day I struggle to let go of dreams not realized. Part of me needs to learn how to find joy in the mundane, and another part of me doesn't want to settle for mediocrity. "They" say that people will disappoint you, but "they" never say that the person who will disappoint you the most is yourself. Multiple times each day I have to forgive myself for being less than my best self. Frequently I become upset and frustrated because my efforts are never enough. I am imperfect, flawed, hypocritical, prideful, impatient, judgmental, insecure, scared, ashamed, lazy, pessimistic, and so impeccably human. Let's be honest with ourselves, none of us are as put-together as we look on the outside.You rarely come across a person who is willing to cut the act and be vulnerable. How often do you come across a person who says "Hi, I'm John and I'm an alcoholic" unless you're at an AA meeting. Life messes us up, all of us. No one is immune from sin, grief, pain, death, addiction, loss, sorrow, loneliness, failure, fear, and temptation. So why don't we admit to these things? Why do we as humans work so fiercely to protect our pathetic fragile egos? I'm disgusted by the walls of steel we, myself included, build around our hearts, souls, and insecurities. Instead of being honest, we blame and compare. Instead of being genuine, we dress ourselves in layers of facades. At the core of love, fulfillment, and meaningful relationships is vulnerability. And so, we do ourselves a serious misfortune by not being vulnerable.
To my children, I'm proud to say that I am desperately and infinitely in need of the atonement of Jesus Christ, and you are too. Regardless of what we do, it is by the grace of God that we can live with our Father in Heaven again. And that's a beautiful thing.