Summer Lovin', Havin' a Blast!

Something very depressing is happening as our marriage progresses and I think it's only fair that I write about it. The more frequently Mike and I play strategic board games (Settlers of Catan, Ticket to Ride and the like...), the more he hands me my butt served up in a little platter with a little "Oh, sorry Ashley.  I guess I'm just dominating at something else" (I paraphrase).  Each game I lovingly arrange my little wooden pieces as if that could prepare them for the brutal defeat that they are about to experience, and each game I allow myself a little shard of hope: that if I play the 'Maverick move' and wish hard enough, I will turn over the exact card I need in the moment of truth.  I've been sadly disappointed.

Sure, I have Boggle and Scrabble.  I still hold my own in Texas Hold'em.  But even my go-to games of Scum and Pounce have gone to the Man-of-the-House lately.  Ahh what Armageddon is this when I would rather read a book whilst Mike begs me to cast in my lots just one more time.  But seriously.  I'm really proud that Mike has not only taken an interest in one of my dear hobbies--nay, passions-- but has become The Don Juan in all of the strategic games we engage in.  I must say that while we may both get fired up in the moment, one of my favorite things about our relationship is our playful war banter exchanged during an impassioned game of I'm the Boss.

Well, Mike's beard is good.  We've been bumming for the past month-ish and have just been relaxing by:

-getting destroyed at board games (as previously mentioned)

-eating out until our pants buckle beneath their added girth

-watching the 'Boulderite Hippies' convulse (dance) at outdoor concerts and festivals
-Making Chibatta bread sammi's and my 'Al Forno pasta

-watching fireworks in the only place not Fired out in CO

-diving for toys at the public pool

-playing tennis with friends

-Making out at drive-in movies
-Putting donughts on every single doorknob at Harmony Square apts. (including our own);
Yes, tis true, we are prankster fiends! 

-napping. repeat.
-touring palaces at the Parade of Homes
-buying honey and pictures by awesome Argentinian street vendors

-treasure hunting at thrift store half-off days

-having a blast at the historic Lakeside amusement park

-fixing the car AGAIN (surprise, surprise)

-reading books or something
-adding to my feel-good notebook of magazine photos
-getting dirty camping
-wakeboarding and water skiing like a boss at Jordanelle Lake
-loosing our breath at Yellowstone National Park. ('nuff said)
-Pinteresting. repeat.
-discovering movies!!!

etc. etc.  

This is Mike's new favorite painting that we got at an outdoor market.  He framed it for our wall 

I LOVE the built in bookshelves in this eco-friendly million dollar home

"DON'T YOU EVER INTERRUPT ME WHEN I'M READING A BOOK!" 

Just loungin' on the third story private balcony/oasis  

Donut Dumpster Diving adventure!  Such midnight havoc-wreaking calls for stealthy, covert clothing

Sketchin' some artwork'

My feel good notebook 

Mike and I dig J-Dawgs.

So four things, thumbs up and down. 

I know these may not be new, but here are four experiences I've had in a personal discovery of some films this summer: 

1. Life is beautiful.  Thumbs way up!!!  What a moving film.  Best in it's original Italian, this movie moved me to tears as it not only explored the heart-wrenching sacrifices made and by individuals during WWII, but the love and passion infused in the gift of life that are so often omitted from these stories of suffering.  Gosh, Mike called me "Prinche-pessa!" for a week after watching the protagonists' uconventional love story and, I repeat, I cried again for all the sacrifices a parent lovingly makes for their child that really triggered thoughts of the Savior's sacrifice for me.  
2. Thumbs down...I don't care what people say.  I did not like The Amazing Spiderman as well as the 2002 version.  I know, I must not be a true Marvel fan.  I know, it stuck truer to the story line and that Emma Stone had more chemistry with Spiderman than Kirsten Dunst.   However, I didn't feel that it was an "epic movie".  I don't know if it was just the music or the fact Dr. Curt Connors' motives were not as well developed on screen as Norman Osborne's (I'm a little bit of a sucker for Willem Defoe as well).  I felt gipped because I didn't see a necessity to reinvent the epic wheel.  Call me crazy, but I have a plethora of reasons for sticking to my roots on this one. 
3. The Prestige!!!!  Thumbs up!  Besides the general cinematography and the splicing of past and present timelines of the main characters (Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman), this drama had a 'Count of Monte Cristo' revenge vein that deeply infused each part of the story with a dark passion and intrigue.  Set in turn-of-the-century London, two magicians are driven mad with 'unrelenting envy for the other's skill.'  This movie was a beautiful balance of irony--sacrificing a full life in pursuit of the perfect illusion-- and realism that caused me to reflect on the nature of obsessions that rule our own lives.  Check it out.  5 Stars. 
4. The Help...Thumbs kinda down.  Sorry.  The book was great, but not life changing, or revolutionary for that matter to its genre, and never quite achieved the status of 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' or 'The Color Purple.' While well-cast, the movie seemed to lack cohesion and skim the surface level of the plot without going in-depth in anything.  Subsequently, I didn't feel an emotional connection to the characters like I did when I read the book.  I had very high hopes for this flick, but felt that it achieved more of a 'summer Halmark blockbuster' rather than 'epic movie' status in my book.

Getting the Heck Outta Dodge!

About this time one month ago, we were sucking our thumbs in good ole P-town U.S.A.  It's crazy to think that one insane cleaning check (in which we mopped the walls and had our heads in the oven for a couple of hours soaking in fumes), a presentation, vacation, and some vigorous packing later and we were out of Provo for good.  But we'll always remember our first little apartment as a married couple, the friends we've made, and the lessons we've learned.

As I feel like I have an old soul adequate for the task of reminiscing, I love to ponder the things that we learned and the things we will miss about provo.

BYU/Provo taught us that:

-it's ok to wear sandals with socks, neon pants, and nerdy glasses

-the 2nd floor WILK had the best women's bathroom to nap in between classes

-classes before 8am require no showers and a ride from Mike

-Pinterest is required classroom material for a boring lecture

-Walmart and Smiths have nothing on Winco

-professors don't know as much as you thought they did, they've 

just been doing the same things as you for 10 years longer

-"The Moses Effect" is a true principle (If you power walk through a congested walkway on campus, people get out of your way)

-the art department is pretty much as liberal as boulder county

-the BYU Bookstore is crooked! and will rip you off for text book sales every time

-most thrifty, crafty, blogging woman is an actual title that women in the wards compete for

-the only way to study for finals is to hole up in the "Super Secret Study Lab" 

(aka, hydrogeology room) with friends and alternate who buys the sustenance 

We will miss:

-making music with the Leavitts and visiting their parent's house

-mini golf, games, late night food runs with the Killens and McQuays

-hanging out with the Blumels/Sloats 

-Mike's games of intramural football and our games of wallyball

-the Avocottage open mic nights with Ben & his friends

-outdoor movies on the lawn of Harmony Square
-Our dancesport competition together
-rock climbing at 'the Quarry'

-late night J-Dawgs, Rancherito, Smiths, and Krispy Kreme runs 

-being so close to my extended family and game nights/dinner with my aunts and grandparents
-Halloweens, Christmases, Thanksgivings, and Vacations spent with those we love

-game nights with all the cousins at BYU

-attending mission reunions together
-hanging with our roommates at the Belly and Continental, ward parties, my calling as "ward Yenta" and Mike & my general dating experience (from the duck pond to tumbling gym)

-our first ward at Harmony Square apartments and our callings as "ward missionaries" and "group four leaders"

-studying side by side until midnight in an open building or classroom on campus

-taking dance, religion, and english classes together so we can alternate who takes notes and who naps, and compare test scores 

-the friends we made in classes and the quirky professors we had

Photos that Never Made it, and Thoughts on Life

I have some ADD thoughts and photos that I need to express.  

Last night I played Coldplay's "Yes" over and over in my head as I drove Mike up to work.  I love the beautiful dissonance and the whole tone of the song.  The weird thing was that unprompted by me, Mike started humming the melody when he got home.  Weird!  We are totally bumming brain waves off of each other. 

There were two mud-daubers frolicking in the parking garage for a while, and one awesome dragonfly performing loopdy-loops out in the courtyard, reminding me to just be happy and enjoy the warm summer weather.  

I had the coolest experience volunteering for Dr. Culatta's Early Literacy Program the other day.  We had all prepared lessons with phoneme blends for K---, but after teaching him for a minute or two, it became apparent that it was way above his level.  So I quickly switched gears and threw together games for recognizing the /k/ sound (the beginning sound of his first name); "Hot" and "Cold" with /k/ sound words, Pin the /k/ words on the cat; practice tracing /k/ & c.  Afterwards, teaching E--, J---, and H-- went really well.  We did some active running games (like rag tag) as well as singing and stories.  The best part was when they ran up to their parents afterwards to show them the "flag bags" they'd made and tell them about the fun they had.  I felt like I'm really making a difference, and it was really cool to get experience teaching the same things that I will be doing as a paraprofessional next year (fingers crossed).

It's so strange to think that our college experience is drawing to a close.  The other day, I finished my application to Albany County School District--my first REAL JOB--and got to take a look over my transcripts again at some of the classes I've loved.  They include:

Flexibility:  A 20 minute nap and getting to wear my stretchy-pants each day = awesome

Social/Cultural Anthropology: With Dr. Crandall talking about the menses of Himba women in his "Perfect English accent" (don't ask, don't tell)

Conversational ASL: (no words necessary)

Beginning Jazz, Contemporary, and Latin Dance

Descriptive Astronomy: Reclinable chairs, mythology, and learning the secrets of the Universe

Elementary Skills & Activities: getting to be a kid in P.E. all over again

Clinical Phonetics:  IPA is another great language to learn

Human Anatomy & Speech Anatomy: Nothing was more valuable to my learning experience than the tactile sensation of handling cadavers. 

Principles of Statistics 

Language Structure & Impairment: Taught by the brilliant scientist Dr. Fujiki

University Orchestra

Hearing Tests and Measures: Almost made me wish I was going into Audiology

Parenting & Child Guidance: Awesome tips & theories that I will use

History of Creativity

Figure Drawing & 2-Dimensional Design

Mind/Body Health:  A Holistic approach to health.  LOVED this.

Missionary Prep:  Who doesn't love Bott?

This reminds me of some photos that never made it to the blog; ones that kind of describe what we like to do, more or less, when we're not competing for who can watch the most episodes of "Prison Break" or buying leather-bound books.  

We like to:

Celebrate Birthdays together

Inject my knee with "pain," "swelling," and saline for $120! (participate in BYU's knee pain study)

Volunteering to chalk the walk for cyclists at the Special Olympics in Utah

Go to awesome bridal showers for old apartment-mates (from left to right: Diedre, Lauren, and Sarah)

See some of our greatest friends, the Blumel-Sloats get hitched!!! (sorry for the corny smiles)

Attend my beautiful roomie Amberly's wedding reception

See some more of my old roommates,  Danica & Melanie at beautiful Kelsey (the Bicmore)'s  wedding reception
Before I met Kelsey, I had heard Mike and his roommates refer to her as "the Bicmore" because she was like the hot item in our singles ward. 

Get lost at Cornbelly's Maze with the Merkley's

Visit the Salt Lake City Temple & sealing room where we were married

go camping in wyoming with the fam

Snag great finds that used to belong to other people (Lost and Find or "Finders Keepers" sale at BYU)

Make and eat food with the RS sisters of my ward

Part-ay like it's 1984 with my work friends from the Skyroom restaurant 

Work as a Server at the Skyroom with my cousins & other lovely people (Amanda, Mariah, Me, Maria, Leslie, Jessica, Israel, and John in front)

Play Dance Dance with the Heath's & Co.

Celebrate the summer with my family at my Grandparent's place

(I love my dad & sister Bri)

Mike made awesome George Cloony T-shirts from the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou.  (On the back, they say, "I'm a Dapper Dan Man!")

Hoost "Spook Fest" at our apt.  *Yes, those are brain cakes, graveyard dip, tombstone pudding cups, monster chocolate Oreos, caramel corn, and eyeball eggs

These are the awesome Cosbys.  They just happened to match

Jani made these costumes herself! (Prince William & Kate Middleton)

And of course, we love the Killens as Alfalfa and Darla from The Little Rascals

It's hard to tell, but we dressed up as Forest Gump and hippie Jenny

Watch concerts at the SCERA outdoor theatre and Monday-night movies in the park

Craft! I spray painted this small dress frame from Hobby Lobby ($2)

Decoupaged light fixture (easy: Modge Podge + Scrapbook Paper) 

Decorated presents this year with brown paper bag wrapping paper, ribbon, tags, & salt dough ornaments.

Bought this $5 picture frame & a $1 table runner & made a DIY earring holder (it turned out cute!) 

Made my version of a coffee filter wreath (wreath frame: DI for $1)

Looking back on these experiences is bittersweet.  We've developed so many great friendships here and we will deeply miss Provo and the people here when we leave, but we are excited to get out to Laramie and begin a new chapter of our lives.  One this is for sure, College was everything I expected and more!