Amy Heaven

Oh What Can I Say More?

SO HAPPY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Isn't She Lovely?

I have a fantastic group of friends.
Specifically, there is a group of us
"Trying A Little Harder To Be A Little Better" this year.
AGK got us all together and encouraged us.
I decided I would try a little harder to be a better homemaker
(cuz JBB says we should :)).
Here is my first effort realized.

Cute chair covers, eh?
Each month we get together and have dinner and a great time.
February's dinner was at ELJ's.
YUMMY!
Everyone brought soup, ELJ made salad and I brought dessert.
And Aprons!

Are we cute or what?
Oh Man I love that lemon fresh fabric!

The ladybug apron for Lori (who knows I LOVE Dolly and sent me this link to her interview on the Today show that I missed the other day - I mean that is friendship!).

The heart apron for AGK (who I completely adore).

I made two aprons from 3 fabrics.
We were missing a few of The Lovelies but we had a fabulous time!
I got the pattern for the aprons at A Feathered Nest.
Love that blog!
My mom had to super help me because it wasn't as easy as I thought it should've been. But it was my first "solo" sewing project and I think they turned out pretty dang cute!!! Once I got the hang of it (thanks only to my mom's super human patience) they took me about an hour to finish.

Homemaking and The Lovelies make me SO Happy!

Going Green

Oh. My. Favorite New Musical.

I got to see Wicked tonight. It was FANTASTIC!!!!! I loved every single second! The music. The sets. The costumes. The story. The singing. The script. The Wizard of Oz references.

A. Mazing.

Honestly, sometimes my life is just too perfect!

I got to go tonight with ELJ and her sis and 3 super incredible grandkids. So Fun.

Also, it was the first time I've ever used a men's restroom when it was not specially set apart as a woman's bathroom. The lines were SO long! Crazy long. Clear back into the theater long. So -- I went up to the third floor thinking only the super-needy would head up there -- but no. Super long line. But no one going into the men's! Well - ok like 3 guys. But we lined up and as soon as the coast was clear we were in! The mom and daughter ahead of me were having a whole, "No mom, I don't have to go." - "Look, if you don't go now, don't even think you're getting up during the show - just try and go" conversation and precious time was wasting! So I gave the mom a little push and said - "you go!" She was like - "well I really don't have to but I know she needs to go..." I couldn't hold back - I said, "Go, Go, Go!" Come on lady! One stall, intermission-over's-warning already rang and I've gotta go! So after I said - go go go - I said - alright, I'll go! So I jumped the line and I was in! And it made it back with one minute of intermission left! PHEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love the theater. Love it - loaf it - lurve it.

There were definitely some Gospel parallels in the show - but I need to listen to the music some more to remember them all. Fantastic.

I can't wait to know all the music by heart and get to belt it out in the car all the way to Provo. :) (That's just the farthest place I could think of that I regularly go.)

Noah always calls Sister Rasband "the Rasband of Oz." I like that title. :)

Soooooo... If you get the chance - take it. Definitely. It will make you So Happy!

How Do You Say Happy Birthday In German?

Well -- Happy Birthday to Hilda today.

She would be 96. Isn't that amazing?

I miss her a lot.

It's amazing to me that one person can mean so much to you in such a short time. But she did.

You can read some happy memories of her here...

I remember just two days before she died we were talking about death.

She said, "When I die, you can be happy. It's what I want. I'm ready."
I told her, "I will be happy because I believe you'll be with your family again."
She said, "Ach (waving her hand in front of her face). I don't believe that."
I said, "Well, one of us is wrong and one of us is right and I think you're going to be very surprised."

She laughed with me.

I used to dream about her occasionally but not anymore.

I hope that even though she's busy somewhere she remembers me.

Did you ever know someone that you were absolutely sure you knew before you came to earth?

It was like that with Hilda. I think she was the whole reason I went to Seattle.

There were other wonderful things for me there - but she was the real reason.

I'm pretty sure Ryn got to meet her already.
Lots of times I'll tell Heavenly Father to tell them both Hello and I miss them.
I'm sure they get the message.
It'll be so good to see her again someday.
Thinking about the miracle of Hilda makes me miss her and at the same time,
So Happy.

Break A Leg! (Wait - Not REAL-ly)

{Sigh}

The Melodrama is over...


It was a blast!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Damsel In Distress and The Hero!

Thank you so much to EVERY single one of you that came!
I have the best family and friends in the world!
I'm so sad that I didn't get pictures with everyone that came!


Awesome Brothers and Awesome Katie My Sis-in-Law!


































My Grandma!





















The lovely Brittany and Brianna - miss you guys!!

And the Disney Girls --
it was the kind-of day when you opened your mouth and a song came right out!

My First Favorite Friend Kathy from work!
(She gets to be first favorite because 1. she is and 2. she reminds me SO much of Colleen!)




















I love the Women's Conference Ladies SO MUCH!
And the Tidwell family is perhaps my favorite family this side of the Mississippi -- They're always keeping it real smooth!

And I got 4 bouquets of flowers!!!



From the Women's Conference Ladies, The Jack's and My Mom!

Stacey also sent a gorgeous bouquet that she MADE! And she even sprayed with perfume! I'll take a pic of those too -- they are so so pretty!




















I also had a few little fans!

My cousin's Adorable son Caleb -- I was so happy he let me hold him!
And during intermission he kept saying, "More More!" Love Him!



I'm pretty sure I'll be moving to Disneyland ASAP to become Mary Poppins or Snow White because having the little adorable girls come up to see the "princess" (ME!) was potentially the coolest thing ever.

So opening night -- I completely fell! It was pretty funny -- my dress was so long that I had to hold it WAY up in order to run across the stage during the Pink Panther chase. I kind-a forgot and down I went! I shrugged to the audience and then had to crawl off on my knees whispering, "HELP ME!" as loudly and softly as I could until they dragged me off stage.
I got quite a cheer when I ran across the other way and made it without a fall.

(the lip sync to "Think" by Aretha Franklin -- SO FUN! How'd'ya like the American Idol microphone?)


Being a part of this fantastic show made me SO Happy.
(I may make you all watch the DVD later -- not sure if that'll make you so happy!) :)

"We Love You, We Do..."

Wow! It's been a long time!!!!!
Sorry to all my faithful, lonely readers out there waiting with baited breath for a new post!

There's so much to post about that I thought I would play some catch-up (or ketchup -- ever wonder why it's called that?) to pay tribute to all the happinesses that have been happening!

First Up -- A super fun birthday party last Sunday with my favorite peeps.

Good Food, Good Friends, So Much ELJ Love!!!


Two of the quotes that we shared for the "program" that reminded me so much of her...

There are three words that sweetly blend,
That on the heart are graven;
A precious soothing balm they lend:
They’re mother, home and heaven.
-- Author Unknown

Woman’s influence can bless a community or a nation to that extent to which she develops her spiritual powers in harmony with the heaven-sent gifts with which she has been endowed by nature. If she does not forfeit her priceless heritage by her own willful negligence, she can be largely instrumental in safeguarding democracy and downing a would-be tyrant. Year in and year out, she may cast the aura of her calming and refining influence to make certain that her posterity will enjoy the opportunities to develop to their fullest potential their spiritual and physical natures. – Harold B. Lee

Am I the luckiest girl in the world or what? I know. I know. I can't believe it too.

It was so fun to be with her granddaughters too - Annie and Becca! Love them!!!

(PS - in the background you can kind-of see my newly recovered overstuffed chair! Love it!!)

You know there's no one else like ELJ that makes me So Happy!

I Heart Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day all!

Things I love:
God
The Gospel of Jesus Christ
My family - everyone and especially Aidan and Chloe
My friends - everyone and just kidding! Everyone!
Seattle
The Temple
My hollyhock picture
My 30th Birthday Scrapbook - see #3 and 4 although they're not numbered...
My job
Convertible Mini Coopers
The Book of Mormon - is it bad this came so late on the list?
Well - all the scriptures...
General Conference - So much. Come on. Love it.
General Relief Society Conference. Even more.
Of course -- Julie B. Beck!
BYU Women's Conference - I love conferences apparently.
Music
Flowers
My photos
Blogs - see the huge list on the side of this page.
My books and my Winnie the Pooh bookends
Disneyland
byubroadcasting.com find a talk database feature
Speaking in scripture :)
My mom's egg rolls and chicken dumplings
My visiting teachers
Homemade oreos
Singing at the piano with ELJ or talking in the kitchen or sitting in the comfy seats by the fire or watching tv with JEJ too or...
Talking on the phone to EJR or watching Golden Girls together or just reminiscing about old episodes together or talking about the Gospel together or...
Ok so I do have favorite friends...
The Golden Girls
The Trying Harder Girls
The Book Club Girls
The Second Saturday Girls
Dancing
My polka-dot umbrella
Walking around Green Lake
Dolly
Lots of dead people - well it's true... I'm just saying.
Traveling
Trader Joe's
ANTM
The Sound of Music
Parties to watch either of the last two items
The Turkeys and all the emailing
Miracles
Pickles -- and snickers pie and lemonade but I don't think Mrs. C reads this....
Pizza
Memories
Future Plans
Promises
Visiting Teaching
Mail - you know, good mail - not just junk
Argentina
Driving
Sledding with my family even though I almost died walking so far in the snow...
Good jokes - got any?
Lists
Being So Happy.
(Hope your day of love was filled with it! Think about what you love and it will be!)