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.