That Awkward Moment...

... when you realize that you have been so consumed with working 90-hour weeks and getting married that you haven't written a blog in two months.

You may be surprised to hear this, but I just had one of those moments. And by "you" I mean hi Dad, because you are probably the only one who still even remembers this blog, let alone still checks it for updates.

Considering it's been 2 months to the day since my last post, here's what you missed...
-I worked a lot. Like really. The worst was 92 hours in 7 days. Legit.
-I quit my job. Yeah, I was burned out, but mainly because I knew we would be moving.
-Josh got his orders. For San Diego.
-Then Josh got told he got his pilot spot back, randomly. That he "lost" over 3 months ago.
-I planned a wedding.
-Josh and I got married! :)
-I got the flu the day after the wedding and moved into Josh's apartment (well, I'm still in the process)

So, now, I am a married woman, with no job, setting up house, but not too much, because I know we're moving to Pensacola, FL sometime in the next three weeks to six months so Josh can go to flight school to be a pilot in the Navy.

But, considering that my father is the only one reading this, you already knew all of that. So, I will end this "awkward moment" update by saying I love you Dad. And if you who are reading this are not my father, I love you too. Because you still remember my blog and think to check it. So, thanks.

And seeing that no job means so much more time, check back soon. More posts to follow :)

A Weekend of Wedding Shopping

Last weekend both of my wonderful moms as well as Josh's mom and sister came to visit for a weekend full of wedding planning and dress shopping.  I am so honored to be blessed with so many wonderful and supportive women to walk this wedding journey with me (did you catch that amazing alliteration? My English-major skills are still intact!). 

Beforehand, I was nervous about getting stressed out by an overload of people and information, but the weekend went so well! We had lots of girly bonding time, toured reception places, and I even bought my dress! Okay, well, I didn't buy it, but I have one! (Thanks Pamela!) If you want to know what it looks like, too bad. You have to wait until May when I post wedding pictures. Can't leak the secret to Josh! 

However, I will share the response I got back from my dad from seeing a picture of my dress. It's one of my favorite top ten lists he's done. Best of all, he made his little girl cry... 

Amie-

Pamela e-mailed me some photos of your wedding gown options. They all were gorgeous. However, my mind did go through some gyrations while viewing the gowns along with the image of you getting married in one. So I will share with you my brain’s activity as I give you the top ten thoughts going through your Dad’s head regarding this wedding gown:

10. Is there enough gold left in Ft. Knox to pay for this gown!

9. With a train like this, should I bring my locomotive whistle to the wedding?

8. How do they harvest heavenly clouds to make such a gown?

7. After the wedding, it will still have value as camouflage when hunting in the snow!

6. This gown is a bit over-the-top, though, if Amie opts for the Vegas Elvis wedding chapel!

5. This looks like a serious tripping hazard for Dad walking down the aisle!

4. How close is Amie’s collection getting to the magic # 27?

3. Will little blue birds help to assemble this gown?

2. This gown will definitely elicit a “WOW” from Josh at the front of the church!

And the number one thought going through your Dad’s head regarding this wedding gown is 

1. Imagining what an absolutely stunningly beautiful bride my little Girly-Whirl will be on her

wedding day!

What a wonderful daddy :)

Being Grateful

I heard a sermon this past weekend on what it means to be grateful. Honestly, I don't remember exactly what the pastor said, but it got me thinking about what I am grateful for. I can get so caught up in so much else, that I often forget. So, I began to think about it in church and started to cry. I've been thinking a lot about it since and decided I needed to write a list. So, this is my abridged list, because today, I could go on forever and ever...

Jesus and his gift of free Life
God's unending forgiveness and sovereignty
The ability to pray freely and be heard unconditionally
That my parents are alive (two of them were caught in the Joplin tornado in May)
A loving family
Three wonderful parents
Mary and her powerful and unending prayers
Josh and his physical, emotional, and spiritual protection over me
Jackie and her unconditional truth, grace, and love
Julie and her pioneer ministry and determination to declare the Gospel with her life
Amazing friendships that transcend time and proximity
My family in Christ
A place to live and enough money to survive
Political and spiritual freedom
Those who have served to protect this country at all times, especially the last decade
Time to think today about what I am grateful for
People who have interest in possibly wanting to hire me
Sunshine, mountains, flowers, and a beautiful city
A place where I can fully relax
Books and my passion for reading
My education and training to write well
Getting to share my heart and thoughts with you through this blog
People willing and wanting to read my blog (Thanks!)
Music
Art
Intellect
Strength and weaknesses
Desire to live a legacy
My life, God's protection, and God's provision
Ability to see what God has saved me from and what He's saving me for

There's so much more, but for the sake of time and space, I'll leave it at this... for now...

So You Think You Have a Deer Problem...

Well, if you live where my parents do, you're probably right! They live in the foothills of Colorado where deer, cougars, and bears (oh my!) run rampant. We don't see too much of the later two in the daylight, but the deer? Oh dear. Problem 1. The deer love to eat pretty flowers, baby trees, and beautiful landscaping in general. Problem 2. They're fearless. It wasn't too bad before our dog died. My dad trained Carrick (our Irish Golden Retriever) to chase the deer to the property line and then he would always come prancing back to the house, clearly proud of his accomplishment. But now that he's gone, my dad has been forced to be more creative.

Yesterday my dad and I took a tour of his blooming garden. It was a bright, hot afternoon in the front yard, and the flowers filled my senses. We walked out of the front door and walked right by the large lilac bushes, when I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. I turned to the side and was shocked to be almost nose to nose with a stag! It was lounging in the shade of the lilacs, munching on the petunias. I was close enough to touch it, and it didn't even seem to care one bit. I was able to snag a couple pictures before my dad got out the secret weapon. He came running and yelling out of the front door waving a plastic pink lawn flamingo who had lost its legs and was wearing Hawaiian leis. It was almost as epic as the famous battle scene in Braveheart. Best part? It worked. The deer ran away with terror in his eyes. But I don't blame him. If I saw my dad running towards me, waving a plastic flamingo, I'd be pretty scared too.

Another Summary in Pictures

I have to give many heartfelt apologies for dropping off the face of the blogging world for so long. I have been in many transitions over the past few weeks, and things have been hectic. There has been lots of packing, unpacking, packing, driving, unpacking, driving, and packing, with quite a few fun adventures and "firsts" mixed in. So, per my style, I'll share what's been going on in pictures...

I had the opportunity to travel to Austin, TX to visit my mom for a few days. It was short, but so much fun to spend time with her!

My parents were in Joplin, MO when the massive tornado hit on May 22. I have a lot of family there, who are all thankfully safe, but this was where my cousin's house once stood. The destruction there is unreal. I was visiting my mom at the time, and so thankful my step-mom was able to get a line out to tell me they were okay!

When I got back from TX, I packed up my little Rav4 with everything I still owned and then left Portland to go to Seattle, where the big trek began. 

But while in the Seattle area, I was able to spend some great time with Josh's family and experienced first-hand the mad bball skills his 7 year-old brother has. Syals got it in the hoop just about every time from just about everywhere on the court! 

Then Josh and I left and began our big drive. But as we went over Snoqualmie Pass, we drove into a rainbow! It was a good way to start a 1700 mile road-trip over six states!

But on the way to Denver we stopped for a few days in SLC and the Three Musketeers had a chance to be together once again! And, as always, Josh and Jackie whispered to each other with their eyes in front of me. I never get to know their secrets...

Once we made it to Denver, we went up to Grand Lake, where my parents have a summer home. While there, Dad and Josh taught me how to shoot! It was so much fun and I even made perfect bulls-eye shots a few times! 

I also caught a fish! It was a pretty big Lake Trout. I hadn't been fishing since I was in middle school and never expected to catch anything. As soon as I reeled it in, I yelled at Josh to come take care of it for me ;)

My cheap dad has finally joined the ranks of Mountaineer members and finally bought a fishing boat! Okay, so maybe it's not quite sized for humans, but it trails a lure behind it and could potentially catch a fish! 

After dropping Josh off at the airport, I made my way up to Fort Collins where I will be spending the summer with Campus Crusade for Christ. As the details of our summer project start to come together, I am getting so excited to work with students here and for the staff conference at the end of the summer!

You can't go to Fort Collins without making a trip to Beau Jo's pizza. Just look at this crust... It's over 2 inches thick and drizzled with honey. Yummm... :)

And tonight, before we got rained and hailed out (golf balls started falling from the sky when we got home), I went to my FIRST drive-in movie! I highly recommend Kung-Fu Panda 2.

So, there's a brief summary about what's been going on in the world of Amie Lou. And now that I am starting to get settled, I should be blogging again regularly. But if it takes another week, please give me grace :)

Michael and the Missing Lunch Box

I love stories. I believe there is an art to story-telling, and that any good story can be made great with the right words. I have gotten some feedback on my posts lately from people who like my writing. If you are one of those people, thank you! But I can't take all the credit. Some credit goes to Ms. Cohen and Ms. Urtz who taught me how to write in elementary school, some credit goes to my university's English department and professors who taught me how to perfect my writing (here's a shout-out to Jeff McCarthy and Chris LeCluyse), but most of the credit would have to go to my dad, who taught me how love stories and tell them well. So this post is for my dad, in honor of the oral legacy he will leave.

My dad, like all of his older brothers, enjoys telling stories. However if you know any of them, you know those stories are more like epic narratives than anything else. They would all say that they like to elaborate the "good parts," but let's face it - they exaggerate. And this is no fault of their own; it has been passed through our genes for centuries. Our last name in the original Gaelic literally means "crooked mouth." In other words, all of my ancestors have been factually challenged, or embellishers at the very least (no elaboration here, this is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.).

But growing up, I didn't care; when I was little I couldn't define "exaggerate" let alone spell it. All I knew was that I was mesmerized with my dad's tales and begged to hear them every night. I would jump under the covers, tightly grab my stuffed puppy-dog, and stare wide-eyed up at my daddy, anxiously awaiting the next Michael Story. So, as you curl up in bed tonight (or wake up tomorrow morning, or go about your day for that matter - doesn't really matter what time you read this. I'm just writing it before bed), I want to share with you my favorite Michael Story - one that has impacted both my childhood and adult life (which is another post for another day) and has becoming a running inside-joke in our family. So, without further delay, here is...

Michael and the Missing Lunch Box

When Michael was a little boy, his mother would always pack him lunch on days when the school menu didn't look particularly appetizing. Well, one day when Michael was in first grade, instead of the usual paper lunch sack, Michael got a hand-me-down metal lunch box. It was dull and greenish-gray and missing the thermos, but Michael loved his "new" lunch box and was thrilled to show it off at school.

When he got to school, he hung up his coat in his locker, closed the door, began an excited conversation with his friends, proudly showed off his lunch box, and finally put it in his open locker. The day dragged on and Michael could barely sit still. Lunch time finally came and Michael ran to his locker to get his lunch box. When he opened his locker, his coat was there, but his lunch wasn't. He closed his locker and checked the number. It was the right locker. But where was his lunch? With shock still fresh on his face, he opened his locker again, and checked every nook and cranny and corner as if it had shrunk and hidden itself during the day. But it just wasn't there. Right then, big tears began to roll down his face, his breathing got heavy, and coming to the only possible, rational, and logical explanation, he cried out, "Someone stole my lunch box!!" 

Tears still careening down his cheek, he ran home. Michael threw open the back door, and explained the horrific trauma to his mom. As any good mother would do, she inquired where he put it when he got to school and if he looked in the right locker. Stifling his tears and chocking back his sobs, little Michael nodded and insisted that someone stole his brand new, shiny lunch box. His mother made him lunch at home and promised to walk him back to school to investigate further. 

When they got there, she looked in Michael's locker, and sure enough, the lunch box wasn't there. But without hesitation, she opened the adjoining locker, and there it was! She pulled the lunch box out of the locker and gave it back to Michael who sheepishly looked down at his feet. With a fond smile, Michael's mother looked down at him and said, "You probably were distracted while talking to your friends in the morning and errantly placed the lunch box in the open locker next to yours. The next time you think someone stole your lunch box, before you come running home in tears blaming someone else, perhaps you should check the locker next to yours." Michael got his lunch box back and learned an important lesson that day: Mothers don't know squat about the deviousness of thieving first-graders! The end. 

This story probably has less elaboration in it than the others (and a lesson that his mother was trying to impart, and my dad failed to learn), but it is one of my favorites. Why? Because the theme of this story has marked my dad's life (and what's even scarier is that it has infiltrated mine too!). To this day, whenever he can't find something he yells, "Someone stole my____!" To which we reply, "Dad, did you check the locker next to yours??" 

I hope you enjoyed the first installment of the Michael Stories, and that it made your bedtime, morning-time, or afternoon-time a little more enjoyable. 

My Dad's Top Ten Lists

My dad loves making "Top Ten" lists. He makes them for everything: books, recipes, movies, why he hates this, why he loves that. The last one he sent me was by far, the best.

A few weeks ago I was flying through my home-town of Denver and foresaw a possibility of giving up my seat on the over-booked flight. Wanting to spend some quality time with my parents, I called them and asked if they would be willing to come pick me up at the airport that night if I gave up my seat (and got $500 in return!). The answer was less than enthusiastic. In fact, it was down-right grumpy. My dad offered to pay me $500 just so he wouldn't have to climb out of his warm bed, forgo his 8pm bedtime, and see his one and only daughter. My step-mom proceeded to yell at him and remind me that they (of course) would do anything for me.

Well, the next morning, I got an email from my dad:

The top ten reasons that make your dad grumpy.

10.    Secular progressives doing anything.

9.        Being taken to a movie, play, opera, church or any place where he has to sit still for over an hour.

8.        The stock market not doing what he wants it to do.

7.        People extolling the virtues of eating broccoli.

6.        When he has to go outside and yell at kids and deer to get off his lawn.

5.        Having a dance partner, such as his wife, who refuses to follow his excellent lead with his fabulous moves.

4.        People reminding him that he is not the center of the universe.

3.        Getting in his truck and discovering that the radio has been changed to the Jesus station. (my dad dislikes that I like to listen to KLOVE - aka the Jesus station -  in all their cars when I drive them)

2.        Pamela telling him, “No, you can’t buy another gun today!”

And the top reason that makes your dad grumpy . . . .

1.    Amie phoning home from Florida, late at night, asking if her dad could leave his warm, comfortable bed and make a special trip out to Denver’s airport in a snowstorm for a surprise visit from his only daughter.

I love my dad, even his grumpy-ness. And especially when his grumpy-ness makes me laugh :)