The original Home Alone

Things I do when Josh is away on business trips....

1. Watch You've Got Mail.
2. Eat junk food and drink dr pepper.
3. Play Taylor Swift really loud while taking a shower.
4. Write in my journal.
5. Watch trashy girl tv ( reality tv) in bed.
6. Wrap Christmas presents from Santa.

It may all sound fun, but by the end of the night all I want is my fella. Life is good when he's in it. Even if he does hate trashy girl tv and insists the neighbors don't want to hear my T-Swift mix.

Cold camping

We recently went camping for a weekend adventure. I was pretty excited for a campfire, s'mores, and tent dwelling. In my mind I would be an amazing camper who gathered wood and made a gourmet meal over a fire I made myself. In reality, I have a really amazing husband who works his bootay off to build me a fire alone because I'm wearing two jackets and am frozen to a chair. It was so cold. There were times where I didn't know if I would be able to endure sleeping on the freezing ground all night. When I complained (I did frequently) Josh would remind me of the great pioneers who endured way more than I have ever been asked to. Camping turned into a gratitude affair. I'm thankful for my bed, covers, Starbucks hot chocolate, our apartment, heaters, and jackets!

That one time I was so scared, I was HAPPY

Yesterday, I planned a fun shopping day with my cousin and her cute little boy. I knew I had nothing else going on because Josh was on a business trip. We shopped and shopped and looked and looked. Christmas was everywhere. I love Christmas. While we were walking around the mall, Josh called me and texted me frequently. I thought, "Wow he must really be missing me this trip." At our last stop, Hobby Lobby, Josh texted me "Are you home yet??" "Almost done?" "Amanda??" My thoughts..this boy lost all of his patience in Mississippi.

We were finally done and I arrived back at our apartment. I opened our front door and noticed candles everywhere. "OH NO! I left all of these candles romantically burning while I was gone!...Wait, No I didn't!" Second thought, "A murderer is trying to seduce me!" I stood in the door way for a good two minutes contemplating what to do with my romantic murderer. Then I heard a ring. It was Josh's phone. WHAT?? So I walked into the house and turned the corner to find my handsome husband holding a sign that said "I'm your BIG surprise! Are you Surprised? I love you!" He is the best surprise I have ever received. We sat down to eat dinner that he had prepared. A simple tuna sandwich and salad. It was absolutely perfect. 

Josh attempted to record the entire thing, but couldn't due to the fact that his phone rang in the middle of it. Good attempt though. haha I'm glad my romantic murderer turned out to be my romantic husband. 

xoxo, 

Amanda M.

A Lovely Love Story Part 3

Where did we leave off...

Oh yes, one unexpected, lovely first date. Since Josh and I lived three hours away, we had to plan plan plan in order to see one another. Our second "date"...well I spent the weekend at his house. I met all 6 brothers and sisters and one mom and dad. Looking back it's kind of interesting how Josh and I just fell into a relationship with one another. Although we considered each other boyfriend and girlfriend, we were more like best friends who held hands.

We went on too many adventures to name. We fished. We traveled Arkansas. We called the Boardwalk home. We loved Texas. We watched endless amounts of movies. We found a baby pig, named it, and kept it. We racked up our phone bills. But mostly we just laughed a lot.

From the beginning, I knew Josh would shortly be leaving on a mission. I tried not to get attached, but who was I kidding.

The mission papers were sent in. We waited for an envelope to arrive. The mail was checked every single day. One weekend while I was visiting, one of the girls came running into the house screaming, "It's here it's here!" I felt excitement. I felt sadness. I felt every emotion that a person could possibly feel.

The envelope was opened....."Elder Miller, you are here by called to serve.."

A Lovely Love Story Part 2

So Halloween was yeserday. I'm over it. I have never been much of a Halloween person. Since Josh was out of town, I spent Halloween eating Mickey mouse place and bake cookies and watching Modern Family. But anyway...want to hear Part two of a Lovely Love Story?! Here ya go...


So when we left off Josh and I were talking on the phone like lovey teenagers. Well those phone calls led into "Will you go on a date with me? To a Hockey Game?" You guys, I almost said no. I was so nervous and somehow that made me determined to hate our date.

The day of the Hockey game came around. Since Josh and I lived a distance away from one another, we met in a town halfway between both of our homes. I spent so much time getting ready and decided on a black short sleeved turtle neck, jeans, and a red jacket. (haha) Josh picked me up and we headed to a near by park. I'm pretty sure I didn't talk to him for the first half of our date and sat in my seat with my feet squeezed to my chest. We ran into some missionaries who were in a bike accident. Josh gave them first aid and I pretended that I didn't care. After the park we went to the Hockey game. This was the first time I had been to a Hockey game and had no idea what to expect. Surprisingly I loved the ice, team fights, and screaming. I refused to let Josh take any pictures of me. I refused to put my feet on the ground the entire night. I was the best date ever....obviously. A puck flew straight at my face and slammed into the glass. I screamed! Josh laughed. Our team won and we cheered.

After the hockey game we decided ice cream was in order. I told Josh to pick where we would go. I was pretty surprised when we pulled into the Walmart parking lot and Josh got out of the car. I had no idea what we were doing. But I skipped into Walmart with him anyway. Yes, I said skipped. (haha) We ran to the ice cream isle and Josh instructed me to surprise him with my favorite flavor. I picked out cake batter, but somehow I knew he would hate it. I asked if he liked cake batter, he answered, "anything but that!" So I went with a brownie/vanilla Ben and Jerrys. Before leaving walmart we were also smart enough to buy spoons. We ate our ice cream in the car while talking about childhood memories.

It came time to drop me off for the night at my Aunt's house in town. We hugged two times and then I ran in the house. I told my mom and aunt that he was "just alright." I told them I was tired and went up to the guest bedroom. I ran up to the guest room just in time to get a phone call from Josh. We talked for his entire ride home. He needed help staying awake...of course.

A lovely love story part 1

I've decided that it's a shame that I have not written down my love story...anywhere. I dream of telling our children one day about how "dad and I met and fell in love". So without further ado..A Lovely Love Story Part 1.

 

It was my Senior year of High School and I was done with boys. I was never too serious with any boy, but I was seriously dramatic. My LIFE WAS OVER because my "boyfriend" decided to date other girls. My best friend Callie decided it would be a good idea to have a sleepover to discuss my boy troubles. We decided that we should get on facebook and talk smack about all the girls my "boyfriend" was dating. (hahaha) As I was scrolling through my feed, I came across some pictures of a very handsome boy. That became way more important than my previous intentions. This was the boy that I met at youth conference the year before. This boy was cute then, but he was handsome now! I scrolled through all the pictures like a true creeper. Something came over me. I'm not sure if it was because of my "heartbreak" or the fact that Callie cheered the entire time, but I left a comment on one of his picture. "WoW." We shut the computer and giggled the entire night.

The picture that started it all. We still laugh about it today.

 

The next morning, I received a message from this handsome man. "What do you mean by Wow?" I refused to tell him the two reasons. 1. That it looked like he was in love with his horse. 2. That I thought he was a hottie with a sweet body. Somehow our conversation led to me giving him my number. We literally talked for the rest of the day like twitterpated teenagers..well because we were.

 

To be continued...

The real deal.

You know how when you first get married you want everything to be perfect. Perfect house. Perfect meals. Perfect wife in general?! Well...I'm over it. I am so not perfect. Josh is not perfect. (Although perfect for me.) We have certainly never been perfect and certainly never will be. It's pretty great. So here is a list of funny imperfections.

• I decided that I was going to be a crockpot queen. It worked out a few times. The other day I decided to make some honey mustard chicken in the cp. I turned it on and went to go take a nap. It had just enough time to cook before Josh got home for dinner. Perfect until I wake up two hours later and realize the crocker was never turned on!! Dinner ruined.....and then saved by taco bell. Don't worry, we ate it at the table like it was homemade.
• The next day I made the honey mustard chicken...it tasted horrible. Josh liked it. I refused to eat it. Part of me is convinced Josh will eat anything.
• I take a lot of naps. I need them or I am a crazy hormone monster lady. Yesterday as I was waking up from a nap I walked into the kitchen to get a glass of water. Josh was in there...and I wasn't expecting him to be home. I screamed at the top of my lungs and fell on the floor in fright. Does this worry anyone else?? What if it were a real stranger danger kidnapper? Helpless.
• Sooo...I'm taking self defense next semester.
• I am graduating in May. Only to apply to grad school for Fall. School you slay me.
• Josh announced that he was going to be getting me some new Toms. I was like "YAY, you're so nice", but then I realized it's because i have a hole in one of mine where my big toe is. I think he's embarrassed. So I wore them to work today.

xoxo,

 

Amanda 

I just met you..and this is crazy!

Sometimes we think we are hilarious. So we take videos of ourselves acting out song lyrics. This is probably only funny to us, but I wanted to share it anyways. I think I want to start making more videos with this fella. I think it will be funny to watch them years from now and laugh about how dorky in love we are.

 

xoxo,

A+J

Letters

 

Dear Mr. Miller,

 

I spend most of my time at work writing letters to you in my head. We always were the letter writing type. I always start my letters with "I love you" because really that's the summation of everything. So, I love you.

The anniversary of our engagement is coming up soon. How has a year already passed since you asked, and I told you I'd be yours forever? It seems like just yesterday we were on that ferris wheel imagining our beautiful future. November will always be one of my favorites because of those memories. My favorite season, 11/11,ferris wheels,merry go rounds, wishes. Thanks for making me wait so that our day could be extra special. I still mean my wish...and I know you still mean yours. I spent a lot of my days wishing for someone like you.

I love being married to you. Every single day is an adventure. I live with my best friend...does it get any better. I love dreaming of the future with you.

Lastly, I always end my letters with I love you because you can never hear it too much. So I love you Mr. Miller. You're the sprinkles on top and the very best part.

 

-Mrs. Miller

Weekends are for Lovers

 

I really love this guy.

I want to start getting back into blogging so that I can have a record of all the adventures the fella and I go on. Currently, I am listening to new Taylor Swift and wishing it were still the weekend. Saturday the fella and I had a cubscout activity to attend. I'm the one who's over the cubbies, but he's a good sport and came with. I am convinced that this calling is a sign that we are going to have a massive amount of little boys. I'm working on my little boy mothering skills for sure.

We learned about indians, cooked outside, and went on a hike. It was suprisingly pretty fun and the boys weren't toooo crazy.

 

After we got back from our scouting adventure, we decided to go on a date. Oh how I love date nights. We decided on sandwiches-so we ate at Mcallisters. Josh fell madly in love with his french dip. Mine was just ok. Should have gone with the carby massive cheese covered potato. Then we headed to the movies. We saw Taken 2 and I only covered my eyes for half of the movie. I love it, but it made me super nervous. Movies are so much better with husbands. Instead of awkwardly hiding my face under a stranger's shirt...I get to do that to my husband. At the end of the movie the entire "Taken" family goes out for ice cream. So josh decided that he needed to take me out for ice cream too. Mint chocolate chip really hit the spot.

 

I think I need to start writing down some of Josh's hilarious quotes. This boy makes me laugh 24/7. Too bad I usually forget all the funny things he says. I'll work on it.

 

xoxo,

Mrs. Miller

Are we friends.

Lately, I have been struggling with the word sincerity. Friendships used to be so much easier. We were friends if we joked and laughed together. We were friends because we spent our lifes togehter. We were friends if we grew up together. Now the friendship boundaries are not as clear. Obviously my husband is my best friend, but I am not talking about him right now. I am talking about others who are apart of my life or at one point were. I am having a hard time identifying what a sincere friendship is since starting this new chapter of my life.

Feelings are such a weird thing. I have been thinking this morning of all the friends I don't talk to on a regular basis anyone. Some of them I still consider friends and others...I wouldn't label them as such. What makes that difference? Even if I don't talk to certain friends everyday, I can still feel there sincerity when we do get the chance to catch up. Those that I still consider friends have a way of showing me that they have a interest in what's going on in my life and they make sure I know how they are. The feelings that I am struggling with now are the "friends" who no longer appear sincere to me. Maybe they don't take the opportunity to really listen to me or to inform me about what's happening in their life. Can I be friends with someone if I don't even know the details of the BIG events in their life?

All of these thoughts leave me wondering if it's my fault or part my fault. Am I also being insincere? Maybe so. I recently was assigned a project in class to have a meaningful conversation with a stranger of a different culture. I chose a sweet older lady from church who I had only said a casual good morning to. After our first "interview" or conversation, I was on cloud nine. Our conversation was so open, honest, and meaningful. After we talked for over an hour, this relative strangerr stood up and hugged me like I was her own granddaughter. I felt loved. Not many times in life do we get the opportunity to get to know a stranger on such a personal level. Or is it that we don't take the time to? I'm leaning more towards the second.

I wrote this post mainly to straighten out my feelings on friendship. Maybe it's time that I start to water the friendships that have started to wilt. If I show how much the friendship of others means to me, maybe I will receive love in return. Cheers to learning what it means to be a friend and have a friend.

 

XOXO, Amanda

 

Birthday

 

 

 

 

This past Saturday was my 21st birthday. I was so blessed to be able to spend the weekend with people I love. On Thursday the birthday celebration started with a visit from my mom. We ate at Cracker Barrel. That hashbrown casserole gets me every single time. I also love the little country store. It always reminds me of my grandmother with its abundance of apple decor. The smell of Fall always brings memories of her as well. After eating we went to the mall to spend some money. My mom spoils me. A lot. Mostly I just enjoyed spending the day with the woman who made me. Oh, and it didn't hurt that she brought me my favorite cake.

 

On Friday, Josh had a special surprise for me. He called me and told me to pack an overnight bag. I had no idea what to bring because I had no clue where we were going. When he got home he made me close my eyes for like 30 mins so that he could wrap my presents and get things together. We ended up staying the night in Shreveport, La. Our hotel room was a check off of my bucket list. Guys, it had a jacuzzi...in the room. We ate the most yummy mexican food of my life, watched football (i like it ok?!), got fancy cupcakes, and attempted to go swimming (BRR). It was the best night.

 

Saturday, I woke up to even more surprises. We went to hotel breakfast. Can I just say I love eating hotel breakfast. Especially when they have cool pancake making machines. Then we ventured out to do a little shopping. We visited with my father-in-law as well. Josh then took me to my last surprise. A paint your own pottery studio. I have always wanted to go to this place. It was so much fun. I painted a "You are Special" plate for our family and josh painted an owl for our Fall decor. It took us way longer than we thought it would, but still so fun. Afterwards we were starving. It took us forever to find a place to eat that wasn't crowded to the max. Subway saved me you guys! The rest of the night was relaxed.

 

Sunday I got my traditional Birthday dinner. Husband is a good little chef. I'd hire him. Good thing I married him.

 

Birthday weekend was a success! Now it's time to prepare for HALLOWEEN!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

xoxo, Amanda

Remember that time...

Last week when our pipes got all clogged and the washer flooded our kitchen. Less our handy dandy apartment man came to the rescue. Josh left me alone with him.It was awkward. I asked if I could use his vacuum...he said no. But our pipes are fixed. hooray!

Remember that time...

We had fish babies. Those itty bitty bodies and big eyes. I never thought I would be a grandmother so young. And then...fish babies got eaten by big babies. Sad day.

Remember that time...

Josh and I didn't turn on the tv for an entire day. We talked about funny random childhood memories all night. The awkward best years of ever. Yeah that was my favorite night.

xoxox,

Amanda Brooke

PS- sorry for the lack of pictures. My camera and I are in an argument at the moment. Hopefully all will be resolved soon.

Ramblings of a procrastinator

I should be writing a paper as I sit here catering to gym participants at work, but I'm not. I woke up this morning a whiner. If you asked, I would have told you all the things that were ultimately wrong with the morning. When I got to work a strange man walked out of the men's locker room. I should have been frightened and alarmed,but I just starred at him like, "Get outta here fool!" I almost gave one of my workers the hand. You know the "girl just stop" hand. My day started to get better though. You may be thinking magic...roses and daisies...inspiring stuff....yeah, I'm pretty sure it was the dr pepper. A couple sips of this bad boy and I am good to go.

Here's to hoping that your day is happy. If it's not....go to the nearest vending machine...insert monies...and get some medicine from THE Dr.

xoxo,

Amanda Brooke

Afternoons.

Afternoons are me time. I have time after my second job at the community center to do really whatever I need or want to do. Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you about my new job. I joined a service organization for the summer. I am going to beautify my community and work with kiddos. Perfect summer. Don't worry though, I still have my job at the activity center handing out towels to sweaty old people. So back to my "all about me" afternoons. These afternoons can be the gateway to way to many snacks and tv shows about nothing. One day of this is totally ok. A week of this..not so much. Too much of the lazies can also lead to a downer kind of feeling.

So, I have been on a quest to re-envent my afternoons. So far I have found joy in cooking. I have impressed the pants off of myself by making banana bread and meatloaf. Two things I have never even attempted to make before. The best part..they were edible and my husband thought they were the bomb. Always nice to impress his pants off too. I have also spent time being a crafter. I have made a weath for our front door and painted some picture frames for our bedroom. Next thing you know, our entire apartment will be one big craft. Soon my afternoons will also be filled with summer school work. For now, I will enjoy the bliss of having absolutly nothing to do, but whatever I want to do.

Although "Me" afternoons are great, I do look forward to having my sweet husband walk through the door. His hugs always smell like work. His eagerness to eat my food always makes me happy.

Xoxo,

Amanda M.

3 little days...

That's it. In 3 days it will be my wedding day. I get to marry the man of my dreams. I can think of nothing better. Tonight is my last night with Josh before the wedding weekend. He is leaving tomorrow right after work to be with his family. I am stuck here until after my test on Thursday. Yes, a freakin test on wedding week. The fools. Eventually I may make it to Dallas.

Sunday, Josh and I took our groom+bride pictures. We were soooo hot!!! In every sense of the word. My dress literally slid off of me when I took it off. Too much info? nah. Josh was such a good sport. He stood there for picture after picture after picture. The poor guy was sweating bullets in his black suit. I was way happy with how the pictures turned out. I can't wait to hang them in every inch of our new apartment.

I can't wait for all the little moments. I can't wait to see Josh for the first time on Friday morning. I can't wait to have a few moments before our sealing to talk and take it all in. I can't wait to see how handsome he is in a tan suit. I can't wait to walk out in front of our family and friends and declare "We're married yall!!" Most of all..I can't wait for that kiss he promised me. Oh yeah..and cake. Lots and Lots of cake.

I wish wedding week lasted forever. I wish wedding day was here. 3 days. 3 days. 3 days.

It's been awhile.

Sooo sorry I have not posted in forever and a day. I have been way busy with school, work, and wedding stuff. No one ever tells you how stressful weddings are....oh wait. Maybe they did tell me, I just never listened or believed. I'm a believer now. However, I know that it is all going to be so worth it when I'm stuffing my face with cake, wearing the dress and shoes of my dreams, and laying on the beach with my hot new husband.

It is absolutely crazy how close the BIG day is. I have a million different emotions at all times. Thinking about being sealed to my amazing fella makes me want to cry. I have been dreaming of this since I was 8...it's finally here. I always wondered in my younger days what my husband would be like, what he would look like, and what adventures we would take on. Now I know what my husband will look like and who he will be. It's a crazy feeling. Josh is everything I imagined my person to be. Honesty, he is far more than I could have ever imagined.

I want to take the time to record his random acts of kindness (So I don't forget)....

3-12-12
Josh and I cleared our schedules so that we could go get our marriage license in Texas. I hurried over to his apartment and let myself in. I called his name, but no one answered. I looked around the corner and saw a bag of Reese's eggs on our table. Reese's eggs are the number one candy in my life. Next thing I know Josh jumps out of the closet. I mentioned the eggs and he claimed he didn't know where they came from. So thoughtful. Later in the day I was having a hard time...Josh simply comforted me and let me be sad. As we went to the courthouse for our marriage license we had to go through a metal detector. Yeah...I beeped...I had scissors in my purse. Yet, the boy still thinks I'm normal and still got a marriage license with me. After we received that glorious piece of paper we went and ate at Texas Roadhouse with the Miller parents. We had a gift card...sweet.

3-17-12
The best St. Patrick's day I have ever had. I had to work from 7:30-1:00 at the activity center. I forgot my computer and was so bummed. I was being bored and using my smart phone when I looked up to see the most handsome man walk into the gym. That handsome man was my fiance. Josh brought me my computer and stayed for a bit before he had to head to work. At around 12:40 I started getting ready to leave. I'm packing up my stuff when Josh surprises me again. He walks up to me carrying Canes!! The best man in the world!!!!! The boy took his lunch break to come and bring me my favorite fast food. We sat on the back of his truck and ate our food. After Josh got off of work we headed to a new park. The park was the best park we have ever been too. We walked and jogged and looked at all the flowers for a few hours. After leaving we went to Sonic for a cold treat. I drank my watermelon slush and he ate his oreo icecream outside HAPPY as can be. It was such a good, happy day.

In 17 days I am going to marry this man. I can't wait to be a family forever. xoxox

Amanda Brooke

We have dishes and an apartment.

This weekend was glorious. I am still getting used to how awesome it is to have Josh living in Monroe. I love seeing his smiling face every chance I can get. He is living in the apartment we will be living in as married folks. For a month it gets to be his bachelor pad....however his bachelor pad is already filled with red polka dot dishes and candles. We spent a majority of the weekend moving things into the apartment and setting it all up.

On Saturday, Josh and I headed to Winnfield after he got off work at 5. It was a quick trip, but we needed to go and pick up our couch, table & chairs, and boxes of stuff. We also got some mom face time and BBQ out of the trip. Not to mention mom sent us back with a bag full of girl scout cookies, birthday oreos, and leftover potato salad and BBQ. She knows her babies! We drove all the way back to the apartment with Josh's truck loaded inside and out. One of our friend's came to help us unload the heavy couch and table. Bringing the couch into the apartment was the most difficult thing I have ever had to ....watch. Yes, I didn't help bring it in. I'm weak..and held the pillows.

The rest of the weekend was spent organizing, eating cookies, and watching ces devotionals. It's the good life.

xoxox,

Amanda Brooke

A little letter

Dear handsome fiance, 

Three years ago today we went on the most amazing first date. You did your best to impress me by buying front row seats to a hockey game and feeding me ice cream for dinner. It worked. I will ever be so grateful for you asking me to give you a chance. Today is just a regular day for most people. For me it's a chance to reflect on how much I love you. Thanks for being my best friend and for giving me the best hugs. Thanks for loving me perfectly each and everyday...even when I'm moody. Thanks for asking me to be your eternal companion. I couldn't think of a better way to spend forever. I can't wait to get to know you even more over the next trillion billion years. So Josh, I hope you have an amazing anniversary day. Soon our anniversary will change to April 6th. Can't wait! Love you forever, 

xoxo Amanda Brooke

Lucky Little Ducky

"We should try and live every day with absolute faith, for we have learned in life that the Lord keeps his promises and watches over those who trust Him. He has been so good to all of us that we should have a profound conviction that He must really love us in spite of our faults." -Joseph B. Wirthlin

I have no doubt that my Heavenly Father loves Josh and I. Over the past couple of weeks we have  prayed  to our Heavenly Father for answers and guidance.Josh needed a job. He needed to move. We needed an apartment. We needed money. The reception plans were a mess. I didn't realize until multiple challenges and struggles occurred that I was lacking in faith. I worried and worried and worried. Through humbling myself I was able to see that it didn't matter if I didn't have the answers...my Heavenly Father did. So I eventually turned everything over to Him.

This week our prayers were answered. Josh came up for the weekend to search for employment. When planning where we would go first, we decided that we should first stop by this apartment we found on the computer. Josh had called earlier and they only had one vacant apartment remaining. We stopped by, got the tour, and chatted with the landlord. Josh and I drove away from the apartment, but we soon returned. We knew that this was the one. We filled out all of the necessary paperwork and hoped for the best. Next we went to Academy to ask about employment. No luck. Next stop Arron's. Josh stayed in Arron's for ever!! I took it as a good sign. Long story short...he got scheduled for a second interview. The rest of the day we were on cloud nine. We ate 7 layer dip and went and registered some more at Target. We made sure to say multiple thank yous to our loving Heavenly Father as well.

Monday I received a call from the apartment....We got it!! I sped over to the apartment and threw money in their faces! WE GOT AN APARTMENT!!! This is going to be our the first place Josh and I ever live together. I will make cute yummy dinners and we will dance around our small living room. Josh surprised me Monday night by showing up at my apartment after SLP observations with a hot pizza. Oh, I love the boy. He drives three hours and brings me a pizza. And maybe he had an interview the next day. ;) Yesterday we waited all day for his interview. Finally, at 5:30 it was go time. After I waited in the care for an hour, Josh comes out with a smile on his face. He gets in the car and just says "Hey, I got the job!" HE GOT THE JOB!!!! We celebrated with candy and ice cream.

This week has been full of blessings. By having a little faith we were able to secure an apartment and a job two months before wedding day. Everything feels right...Thanks for all of your prayers. I could feel the love and prayers going out for Josh and I. Most of all I will always know that my Heavenly Father loves us more than we may feel we deserve. We are imperfect, but He loves us perfectly.

xoxox,

Amanda Brooke

Two months till..

Josh- "I brought you a piece of candy bar cake." 

Amanda- "Oh let's share it. We can both have half." 

Josh-"Nope it's all yours."

Amanda-"Why do I get a whole piece to myself?" 

Josh-"Because you said YES." 

Boy am I glad I did say yes. I got cake for it....and I get the man in two months. Two little months and I get to be his Mrs. It feels good to be in this moment right now. It feels good to be his fiance and his soon to be wife. So life, bring on the next two months. I'm ready to experience them. And when it's time, I'm ready to go into the temple and promise my forever to this man. I know now how blessed I truly am.

In the beginning...

I

Our Now...

                                                                xoxoxoxo, Amanda

My buns are on fire

So funny story. This weekend Josh came up to look for a job and an apartment. Since I knew we were trying to avoid eating out, I planned an entire menu for the weekend. I kinda felt like I was a housewife...so I decided to make homemade rolls for Saturday night dinner. Maybe I have never made homemade bread before. So Saturday afternoon I set out on the bread making/baking experience. We don't have a mixer so this little puppy was made all by hand...literally. By the time I mixed, kneaded, punched, and shaped...I was covered in flour as well as my kitchen. However, I was so proud of myself that I didn't much care. I buttered and honeyed and placed my little baby rolls in the oven. As I reached in to check if they were done panic filled my mind. "What if they taste like...crap rolls?" What if they are burnt?" I took them out and sat them on the stove. I stepped back and marveled at how awesome they were. My little babies were beaut....err smoking. I looked for five minutes at how smoke was all around my babies. Were they that hot?!?! Then the light bulb came on....I sat the baby rolls on a burner..that was somehow still on. Genius. I called for Josh to come help me. We got the babies off, but alas..their little bums were black. Josh was a sport and ate them anyway. All we had to do was remove the bums...and they tasted pretty dang good. Moral of the story...Don't set your babies bums on a hot burner. Also I wish I had a picture, but I was too ashamed at the moment to take one.

This weekend Josh and I started to figure a lot of stuff out. We are on the right track to have everything in order for April. Thanks for the prayers....and keep sending them our way. I will let you know how everything works out when it does. Because we have FAITH that it will work out.

xoxox,
Amanda

Wonderfully Typical

I have been lacking in posts lately. I am going to try and do better. There are so many things that I want to remember and record about this part of my life. So update.

School is cray cray. This is for sure the hardest semester I have experienced so far. A typical day of mine consists of...5:05am- Alarm goes off

                   5:20am-I actually get my bootay outta bed

                   5:47am-Open up the gym

                   6:00am-9:00am- WORK

                   9:00am-10:30am- Get ready for school and eat breakfast

                   11:00am-12:15pm-Class

                   12:15pm-12:45pm-Lunch

                   1:00pm-3:45pm-LONGEST CLASS OF  MY LIFE

                   4:00pm-6:00pm- Observe the cutest SLP clients in the world. 

                    STUDY THE REST OF THE NIGHT

                   9:00pm- Talk to my handsome fiance on the phone. 

Somehow the last task of the day makes everything else ok. I recorded my schedule so that one day I can look back and see that I was indeed a beast. Let's just hope that I can make it to summer.

Josh and I are also trying to figure tons of life stuff out before the wedding. Like jobs,housing, blah blah blah. I'm having to learn to have a lot of faith that things will work out someway, somehow. I know that through trials and challenges we can be made stronger and wiser. Having our own difficulties has also opened my eyes to how many other people are going through trials right now. I think it becomes harder to ignore the struggles of others after you have had significant struggles of your own. At least that has been the case for me. There is so much more that I can do to help. One day at a time.

I have also learned that it is ok to ask for help. So if you are reading this blog..I ask for your prayers. I think we all could use a few extra prayers. So if you need some...let me know. I will return the favor.

I will leave you now with one of my favorite pictures from my engagement..

                        Yep, I love the boy. And I'm blessed enough to get to spend eternity with him.

The small things...

Planning a wedding, looking for jobs and apartments,planning futures....well all that can drive a girl insane.

 This morning as I readied myself for work at 5:15am, I had a vision pop into my mind of my future family. I was sitting in my two sweet girl's room readying them for bed. They asked me how I knew their daddy was my person...how I knew he was the one for me. I told them of how I didn't know it just one moment. On our first date I knew he was going to be my best friend forever....as we wrote on his mission I knew he would always have my heart...and as soon as I saw him after two years, I knew I never wanted to be a part from him again. I told them stories and recounted adventures.

At times, it's easy to get caught up in the planning of a wedding. What colors, what decorations, invitations, pictures...just everything. I love moments, like this morning, where I have the chance to remember why I am getting married in the first place. I'm going to be with my fella forever...we are going to make promises to always love one another. That's the why.

So I have come up with a new years resolution. My new years resolution is to remember the important. I want/ need to count my blessings every single day. I resolve to be more thankful for the little things. I resolve to remember that the little things are the big things.

Here's to a beautiful new year!!