Nick & Aubrey Burke

It's been a while

2009-05-28T13:21:00.002-07:00

It's been a long while since an update, and I've heard from more than a couple of people that I need to fill them in on what's been going on. So I read the last couple of posts... all the way back in February (wow...) and now I'm to fill you in... readers digest version ;)

~ After fighting to find things in the garage for months we reorganized it so now there's a pathway all the way to the back. Thought I found my piano power cord but it's really just the power cord to my stereo. Still can't find the piano cord :(

~Shenan's moving to Utah. I didn't really think it would be that big of a deal but it's hitting a lot harder to home than I thought it would. I'm really gonna miss her. And she's going to be a long drive away. It's hard enough finding time to make the 3 hour trip to Show Low to see the parents...

~I'm needing a job. Found one, but they wanted me to work 3-10:30pm... Nick works 6-2:30pm, we would literally see each other maybe a half hour a day and that's when I wake up with him to make his breakfast and lunch for the day. So I turned that down. Still looking. Need something full time and at least $11/hr. So hard to find though.

~My red car finally took a poop. Nick and I finally got around to fixing the O2 sensor that's been out for like 3 years and he did an oil change and was GOING to do a tune up... and fix my catalitic converter... until he got under the car after changing out the sensor and seeing wet liquid oil all over the entire bottom of my car. Literally everywhere. And when we ran it to see if the O2 sensor turned off my engine light, suddenly there were 7 oil leaks that weren't there before. I was really scared to drive that thing...

Which leads me to my next update...

~I got a new car. Well, not a new car, a used car. An 07 Nissan Altima, dark blue ;) Was really hard to find though. And since buying Nick's car, my credit score has gone down about 50 points I think all due to how many people put hits on my credit when we were getting Nick's car. Then it all happened again getting this car (you would think we would do it differently this time... haha... yeah.. nope) and it was so hard getting financed. But we did it. And I love the car. And Nick loves the car. So we're happy.

~Mom got a couple of surgeries lately. Got stuff taken out of her elbow from the accident a year ago, got extra skin removed from all the weight loss, and got reconstructive surgery from her cancer 6 years ago. I'm so happy for her, that she's able to do this and put everything, all of that bad stuff, behind her and move on with a new body. Lots of scars... but they're just reminders of where she's been.

~Friends are pregnant... that's fun.

~In a wedding for my ex-boyfriend James. I'm sure I've posted about that before though... I think. But we're making all of the costumes, and us ladies are halfway through getting our corsets done. This is the most involved wedding I've ever seen or heard of. I dont sew so I'm relying a lot on the bride to do it for me. In trade I'm doing most of the decorations and invites and such. Which will be fun. I hope ;)

~Dishwasher broke. Has been broken for two weeks and the apartment people came out, fixed it, said it wont happen again... and it happened the next day. Then wouldnt come out again for two weeks because they thought they fixed it. *sigh* Well we're getting a new one in a day or two. Finally. We told them that the first time.

~We thought Nick had tonsilitis for the last month. It's really been kicking his butt. Doc gave him meds and one refill... we've been through the meds AND the refill and it's not getting much better. So now we're doing tests to see if he has mono. I just wonder why I havent gotten it yet.

~Nick and I are looking into options into fixing his back. The army REALLY messed it up. He's 3 inches shorter than when he signed up for the army. They took xrays and told him he had scoliosis and sent him on his way. Well he's always hurting and it gets so bad that he has to lay down cuz it hurts so bad but then even when he lays down, there may be only one position he can lay in where it doesnt hurt. So he's going to a specialist and doing xrays and stuff... we're hoping he can get surgery to fix it. It would be free through the army but Nick is so tired of army doctors, he says they dont do anything and are really bad... so we're trying to do it through insurance. If everything goes well, it's a 10% copay... but 10% could still mean a couple of thousand bones that we can't pull out of our pockets at the moment... so we'll see where that goes.

~My aunt is in surgery today in Mexico to get something similar to what my parents and I got two and a half years ago (wow that long already?). I wish her the best. I think it will be really good for her, I just hope there aren't many complications and I hope she can adapt as well as the rest of her family in supporting her and her new lifestyle she is undertaking. I'm thinking about bringing her to some of the support groups that I go to for my surgery. It's a lot like the same thing as mine just... different. So I think it will help.

~Living situation is difficult. More difficult than I thought it would be. We still hardly see eachother but when we do it seems to always be nagging about one thing or the other. And the dogs keep going to the bathroom in the house. Or being sick. *sigh*

~Parents had their 25th wedding anniversary :) Shenan Nick and I all pulled together some money and got my parents a gift certificate to the restaurant my dad took my mom to the day he proposed, Beni Hanna :) They are so cute I love them.

~Mine and mom's birthdays are coming up soon. Mom is gonna turn 50. She doesnt seem it. I guess that's good. I'm turning 24... I have thought I was 24 for a while now lol I keep thinking i'm turning 25 or 26... Nick says I act that old and laughs when I forget I'm only 23. I'm too young to forget how old I am haha.

~Had a change of heart as to what I'm doing in school. Dropped the court stenography thing. Did that to keep my fingers fast and to afford doing piano more full time. Never really WANTED to do it, it was a means to do piano. So I had no motivation and never practiced... wasted 5 years doing that. I've been in school for 6 years now... and still no degree. And I have friends with masters already. I could have a masters in piano performance by now. Am I kicking myself? Yes. But through all of this I finally figured out what it is that I enjoy doing and really want to do. I had a friend in MD who was mentally handicapped and couldnt communicate or control most of her muscles in her body. Right before my family moved to AZ they were going to teach her sign language. Well I always swore I would learn it so I could talk to her someday. Which is why I took ASL at MCC. So I'm going back to school and getting my interpreting licence, and then go to ASU, maybe work for them as well as an interpreter, and get a bachelors in speech and hearing science, then getting a masters in speech and language pathology and work as a speech therapist to help mentally handicapped kids who can't communicate, and their parents, how to sign. It really means a lot to me and I think I would be really happy doing this. In memory of my really good friend, my best friend ever, in Maryland.

~Nick and I found something that we like doing together besides cuddling and watching movies and going on drives and such. He loves computer games and video games, but hates playing them if I can't play with him. So we found one we both can play and enjoy :) I'm going to sound like a huge nerd.. but I really enjoy playing WoW (World of Warcraft). I'm addicted. We play it together and really have fun. I'm glad there's finally something that we can do together that we both really enjoy.

~Nick is planning something big for my birthday. I'm excited but nervous at the same time. I'm not allowed to look at the bank accounts until after my birthday, and I'm not allowed to plan anything at all the weekend of my birthday. He says it's all his planning. I love knowing that he's planning something and thinking about it... I kind of know how much he's planning on spending and I have no idea what he could possibly be doing that would use that kind of money unless it's a trip? But I'm pretty sure we're not going on a trip. So I dont know. But I'm excited. I'm just glad he's thinking of it and doing something for me without me reminding him my birthday is coming up :)

Well, I'm sure there's more updates but I gotta run :)

LOVES!

Scratched

2009-02-18T12:12:00.002-07:00

So, two days before we moved out of our old place, someone decided they didn't like the paint job on Nick's new car that we just got. It's a yellow/orange kind of iridescent color, where you have like two colors together depending how you look at it with the sparkles and everything...

...well someone walked by sometime during the night and keyed his car along the drivers door and the hood. most of it we could probably have buffed out, but there are a couple of places that are too deep and we'd have to have repainted.

TWO DAYS before we move. They could have waited two days to decide to commit vandalism. Seriously. At the new place, we have a garage that Nick uses so we never would have to worry about it because he was worried about messing up the paint and stuff or someone dinging it. We were two days too late.

*shakes fist*
Makes me so angry. *sigh*

THAT'S where that went!!!

2009-02-16T09:19:00.002-07:00

So its been a week since we've moved into our new little apartment with my friends. It's crazy finding all the stuff you have when you have to pack. It's like Christmas :) But then there's all the stuff you don't really want but cant get rid of, or dont know what box to put it in... so then you end up with a ton of miscellaneous boxes... I'm glad we are renting out a second garage at our apartments for storage. It's beyond packed. We cancelled the other storage unit and moved everything into the garage, and slowly been bringing up boxes (or stuff from boxes) and it's all one big mess (pictures to come in a later post... when I can find my camera haha).

But the move was good. There were like 6 guys that showed up from my ward COMPLETELY unexpectedly (last I heard no one could make it) so we had a lot of help packing the truck. I still had to pack like half of the apartment so I was busy throwing stuff together for them to take with them. We also had Nick's little brother and cousin (who I swear is the strongest kid I have ever seen) who we relied on a lot the entire weekend. We had to move a LOT of stuff. We actually rented the truck a day longer because we had so much stuff to move. It took three trips with a full 17' truck to get everything moved over.

The apartment is small, but bigger than we thought it would be. Which is always a nice surprise. Nick and I have the small room (we gave them the master because they were willing to pay more and anywhere we can save money at the moment is a good thing) but we are able to fit his dresser, a small desk (that fits his computer, the wii, and a printer), and a bookcase full of dvds and games, then the bed and two side tables. We are still arranging furniture and stuff and we have (I think) all of the essentials. I had to go into the garage yesterday for some hand soap and body wash for the shower (I ran out last week) and my sugar and flour so I could make pumpkin pie.

Somehow the guys got the huge tv up into our living room. And we can amazingly fit my piano in there too, I just now have to find wherever I put the power cord... somewhere in the garage... PROBABLY in the back. *sigh* One of these days we're going to reorganize the garage and actually go through and get rid of the half empty and empty boxes so we can actually walk in there. Our roomies have a fish tank in the front room and we're using their couches because mine were just WAAAAY too big. Mom and dad are holding onto those for us, thankfully.

The living situation is great. We all get along. We all usually just stick to ourselves. When Nick and I are home we're usually watching a movie or playing games on the computer, and we always leave the door open to our room if we're available, and they are usually in their room with the door closed playing games or whatever, or they're out in the front room doing stuff. We all have very different schedules but havent had any issues yet. Brian and Nick I think have had maybe two conversations with eachother... it's funny how similar they are. Quiet, and all about cars and games. The same games, just Nick prefers them on the PC and Brian prefers them on the xBox. So theyve been trading games and stuff.

The two dogs have been fun to have around. They both have gotten to like us and dont bark much at us when we walk in anymore. The beagle always runs into our room and jumps up on our bed when we're in there and falls asleep as we play our game. It's so cute. As it's calmed my want for dogs, Nick is dying to get one of our own. It makes him really miss his old puppy he had to get rid of because the living situations wouldnt allow him to keep it. We'll get one one day :)

Anyway, gotta run :) Going to the mall with Jessi to get her ring (she got engaged to Brian on Valentines Day) resized before she goes to work. And since I have no school today, I need SOMETHING to do (heaven forbid I actually do laundry... lol)

Baptism

2009-02-02T08:55:00.002-07:00

So Saturday was my little cousin's baptism. He just turned 8.

I was so excited and wanted to go see it so bad but was really worried I wouldn't be able to make it because I had a work meeting that was mandatory and I didn't know if it would be done in time. Traffic from Paradise Valley to east Mesa can make the trip an hour long.

Nick had gotten called into work that day but got let off early and just put on call. His back has really been hurting him a lot (to the point where you can visibly see the knots in his back and he says his spine feels like its trying to collapse and the muscles are pulling to try and keep it right... the only place he feels comfortable is on the bed where there is no pressure on his back) so he didn't want to do anything except stay home in bed and cuddle. When I got home from work I finally convinced him to come with me even though he had to come in work clothes in case he had to leave halfway through.

I thought it would be a really good thing for Nick to see a baptism and a confirmation. He's having really huge issues with the idea of the Priesthood and outright doesnt want it (he doesnt feel worthy to have it, feels that only people who have studied the Gospel their whole lives and has dedicated their life to God (like the Pope or the Catholic priests, etc) should have it, and doesnt want that much "power" I guess). I thought that maybe him witnessing it working would help. He's already seen a blessing (when Mom and Dad were in their accident) and I told him how much I would love our kids to get baptized by him so I wanted him to see it and feel it.

He was really self concious about not being in Sunday clothes but I told him it would be fine because it wouldnt be in the Chapel and there wouldnt be a lot of people and so it wouldnt be a big deal. Lol... I was wrong. I forgot they've turned baptisms into a stake event. So it was in the Chapel... and there was a TON of people there. *oops*

After the songs and talks and stuff the kids were released by stake, and my cousin's was the last one to go. While we were waiting to go, the Stake showed the video "Witnesses of Christ" (I think that's the name of it). I loved it. I had never seen it before. And it has Gordon B Hinckley in it. I miss him :)

Finally, it was time to go. The Spirit was so strong and my little cousin was so cute... it was really so special to watch him get baptised. I would watch everything and I just hold the hope in my heart that one day Nick will want to have one of his own.

It's been a lot harder than I thought it would be, being married to a non-member. I try to explain why there are 3 hours of church when he only sees good reasoning for two (sacrament and then priesthood/relief society), why they have to split couples up (he's really not comfortable going anywhere alone, with good reason I think), what the purpose of Sunday School is (he's gone with me for a year and says they just repeat stuff, he's already learned everything and sees no point in just learning stuff over and over, part of why he says they brainwash a little bit)... so GOING to church isn't so bad, it's STAYING at church. I can't ever go to Relief Society without breaking down because I know he refuses to stay that long because he refuses to go into Priesthood even if my dad is there (he had a bad experience his first time) and he goes home alone to come back and pick me up... neither of us are happy at that point. And bishops don't really know what to do either (the two that I've had so far... we'll have a new one next week, we'll see what that one says)

...there's a lot more I just shouldn't put it here. He's very private and probably would get very upset if he even knew I was talking about this.

I've asked myself why I got myself into this before. He and I, when we were dating, almost split up a couple of times because I wanted the temple marriage and he couldnt guarantee me one. But he promised me he would support me at church and go with me every week and really try for me. He promised me he would get baptized if that's what I wanted. Of course I want it, but I want it for him. When we were dating, I talked to my bishop about it lots, and I prayed a LOT about whether this is good and right... and I got a very clear confirmation that it's good and right and something I should do. So I went to it without looking back. And I just have to remember that confirmation... this is something that the Lord told me was good and right... and I just have to put my trust in Him that someday I can see my husband across an alter in the DC temple. I'd even just settle to see him in all white. Like my little cousin.

Who knows if it will happen. It might not happen until after the grave. But my little cousin's baptism planted a little seed. Time will tell how it will grow.

I don't know why I'm writing all of this... it just kinda came out, so I apologize. It's very personal to me. Thanks for at least letting me write and get it out.

Two minutes is just too much time.

2009-02-02T08:52:00.001-07:00

The Cardinals ALMOST HAD IT!!! UUUUGGGGHHHH!!!! Two minutes in the 4th quarter is just way too much time. We just had to keep the Steelers from getting all the way over but we couldnt do it. I thought we had won it. But NOOOOOOO. *sigh*

They still did an amazing job for their first Superbowl ever. Except they could have done with less fouls. That was kind of stupid.

But congrats Cardinals :) I'll never doubt you again!

Inspired

2009-01-26T10:06:00.008-07:00

So Shenan posted on her blog about doing blind contour drawings in her class and they had to draw their hand without looking at what they were drawing, and they couldn't lift the pencil. I was inspired off of her pictures that she did so I tried it. I used a pen and did my left hand. Here's how it went:

I personally think I did pretty well. I'm proud of it :)

I'm also inspired to post these pictures that Shenan and I took on the way to Show Low for Christmas (teehee... love you Shenan don't hate me!!!) I didnt even remember taking these and they were on my camera!!!

This is one of my favorites:

...

And this is what I will expect from Shenan for posting these. This is why you don't ever piss her off hahaha. (Remember I love you Shenan!!! I just love this pic, I'm sorry!)

Squeeeeeeeeeeze!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-01-22T19:00:00.002-07:00

So, lately I'm squeezing in more ways than one.

SQUEEZE #1

My pants are tight (so tight I actually have to lie on my bed to button them...), my wedding ring is tight, my shirts show rolls again... sure fire signs that I've gained a bit of weight back.

I got my surgery over 2 years ago and since then, I've lost 115 lbs. At that point I was still 25 lbs away from where the drs told me I should be at. I was only 15 away from where I wanted to be at though.

Well... I got married 5 lbs over my lowest point. I blamed that to stress of planning the wedding. At Christmas (5 whole months of being married *yay*) I was only 5 lbs over that. That was a huge accomplishment for me, because they say once you get married you gain weight because you're all relaxed and enjoying life, so I wrote off that 5 lbs. My goal was to get through the holidays without gaining more weight than that. After Christmas and my hubby and I just stayed at home enjoying eachother, I gained. A lot. Like ten pounds in the month. TEN WHOLE POUNDS!!! IN A MONTH!!! Ugh. That's disgraceful. I wasnt watching what I ate, I ate all day long without thinking about it, I didn't exercise...

Needless to say, my trainer was kinda "disappointed" (aka pissed). She's been with me for 4 years now working with me and knows how I work... I was doing so well after Thanksgiving and all of that, and Christmas came and it was like Hiroshima. I've plumped up like the Christmas pig getting ready for the slaughter. Now I'm 3 lbs away from the number I swore against seeing for the rest of my life. The 200 number.

So I'm starting the new year over, starting it right. My goal is to get all the way down to my goal weight by my birthday. MY goal, not the drs. I still think the drs are insane for saying I can get down there. But that's 35 lbs in 5 months. That's like 6 lbs a month. If I just get back to doing things right, that'll be easy.

Well, SHOULD be easy.

Nick is supporting me behind it. He never wanted me to get the surgery in the first place. Well, if he knew me back then he says he wouldnt have let me get it. But now that I got it, he doesnt want to see me put it to waste. And I agree. I got it to teach myself a new life, and to be able to teach my kids so they can be healthy too. Break the cycle of big. Nick wants to lose weight too so he said he's willing to eat whatever I eat and to start cutting back. He's funny because he knows I'd do anything for him so he asked me to lose weight for him. Not because he wants me to be skinny, but because with him as a motivation he knows I would take it more seriously. So I started on him today when he wanted snacks, telling him dinner was in a half hour (I made the rest of the porkchops that I did yesterday... yum yum yum. BTW Erica, THANKS for your recipe!!! I found one that had everything you said plus a couple more spices in it like thyme and rosemary and basil and then parmesan cheese and it was kinda spicy but Nick liked it. And you saved me from going to the grocery store haha). He didnt like having to wait, and he ate his dinner PLUS mine (I didnt eat much) and he said he felt like a pig but was still hungry. We'll work on it. It's all portion size and drinking more. He's gonna start working out with me too.

SQUEEZE #2

Gonna start this by saying sorry this is so long... but if you're still reading, I LOVE YOU!!! Haha.

So Nick and I are moving, saving money there, just bought a car, saving money there, I'm taking the light rail to school, saving money there, I'm clipping coupons, saving money there.

And yet money is still very tight. It seems certain bills keep coming out of the woodwork. Credit cards that we've paid off come back and say "OH there's a finance charge for $70 for this month even though there's no balance due on it", or "your dr appt was back in April of last year, but insurance wont cover it so you're stuck with it now".

It would help if my "job" would work me more than one day a week (or two) for 5 hours. These $50 paychecks aren't helping us much. I've been applying to places trying to find a part time office job in the afternoons... just something with steady hours where I'm not coming home at midnight and I dont have to work on Sundays.

I wanted to get out of the "waitressing" (in quotes because I dont really do that right now... just a banquet server... the menu is already chosen) but that might be the best choice right now. I've sworn off fast food, but at this point, any job is a job. We just need additional income. I need to be able to make the school payments or I'll have to drop out of the semester.

...And we all know that cant happen...

So, that's what's new. We're getting skinny. In more ways than one.

Author???

2009-01-19T07:01:00.002-07:00

So at work Saturday I was telling some of my friends/coworkers about some of the things going on in my life, and shared some stories of back when I was in my early teens (we were working a Bat Mitzfah (i dunno how to spell it) for a ton of 13-year-olds) and they though I had some CRAZY stories.

Some of them being how I was in two "gangs" in middle school and high school in Maryland so that way I could walk home safe without getting beat up for money for them to get alcohol or drugs (*yay for Maryland*)

One about how I'm being a bridesmaid for a wedding next year... for my ex-boyfriend and his new girl. My ex being my husband's best friend... and I'm in the wedding party and my husband isnt -- as payback for my ex not being the best man in our wedding but being a groomsman (while Nick's brother was the best man) and I'm just a bridesmaid but have to pay for travel (being a destination wedding in a ship off of the California coast during sunset) and renting my dress (which is really a period costume since it's a Pirate theme and the bride is a costume designer so she'll be picking authentic fabric and such so it'll be more expensive) and maybe the wig I'll have to wear as well as jewelry and shoes and all that... which is like normal I guess for a bridesmaid. I was actually excited to JUST be a bridesmaid instead of maid of honor or the bride... too much planning. I just want to sit back and enjoy... but the maid of honor has never been a bridesmaid before so she has no idea what to plan or how... so I have to help her... and somehow find a male AND female stripper because the mom of the bride is lesbian and so is the maid of honor... it just all keeps getting better.

One about how my friend died in 6th grade out of the blue from his leukemia...

How I used to get beat up in middle school because of my frizzies in my hair...

Anyway. I was telling my coworkers all these stories as they shared as well, and one of the bartenders just laughed and said "man, you DO have a lot of good stories. You should write a book"

...

I had thought about it before. My life is like a reality TV show gone crazy. Some of the stuff that happens you can't even think up. It's a major soap opera. So I've started a couple of journals with the idea of actually turning it INTO a book. But I spend so much time trying to write all of the back story that I never write what is actually happening.

Anyway, I thought it would was interesting that someone said I should write a book. I'd like to, though some of it I dont know that I'd want to share. It's all good stories though.

Aubrey Burke -- author

eh... we'll see.

Things I've done (from Emily)

2009-01-19T06:44:00.003-07:00

1. Started your own blog - definately have
2. Slept under the stars - at my old house I would sleep outside when it was nice out
3. Played in a band - Tuba and baritone!!! Oh, and flute... but I try to forget about that one.
4. Visited Hawaii - graduation celebration and celebration of mom beating her breast cancer
5. Watched a meteor shower - sure have
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland - for band
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch - I sketch... I paint... it's not good but it's an art
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight - lol, Nick and I have them all the time
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill - guilty!!!
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping - hahaha, yay for my own private hot tub!!!
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset - both :)
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise - to Alaska!
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person - many many times!
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors - not yet
35. Seen an Amish community - yay for living out east :)
36. Taught yourself a new language - my sister and I have our own. So do Nick and I
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied - doesnt take much :)
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight - gorgeous
46. Been transported in an ambulance
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Gone without food or water for 24 hours or longer
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling - it's fun :)
52. Kissed in the rain - Nick finally accomplished that for me
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China - it's amazing. Absolutely breathtaking.
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Stayed up for 24 hours with NO sleep at all
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter - in Hawaii no less :)
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy - Little foot!!!
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt - it's a comforter I made for myself with my aunt mom and grandma :)
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Changed a lightbulb
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book - someday
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Mowed the lawn
84. Had your picture in the newspaper - yay for going to China :)
85. Read the entire Bible -working on it
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating - yay for fish :)
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life - Shenan's once upon a time... so much for me teaching her to swim
90. Sat on a jury - I will soon lol yay for jury duty
91. Met someone famous - at work there's a lot of famous government people and football players. I've met them... dont really know them though
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee - many times in Maryland

Good and bad news in two words

2009-01-14T07:03:00.003-07:00

We're moving.

Or is that 3 words? We're= we are = 2 words? But it's one word... oh well.

We're moving into a 2 bed, 2 bath place between Lindsay and Val Vista on University. It's a little too far into Mesa for our taste and a little too far from a freeway for Nick to be happy, and we're moving into it with my friend and her boyfriend and their two dogs.

... yeah.

So the GOOD part about it is we're saving a LOT of money a month and we can get out of the lease in 6 months if we need to and in a year we SHOULD be able to pay off every credit card but one if we stay there.

It's a means I wish we didnt have to take, but we cant afford our cute little place right now until I'm out of school. So hopefully no friendships are ruined, no marriages are strained, no financial situations are worse... but the next year will definately put all of those to the test.

We'll be moving Feb 6th. Wish us luck!!! And if anyone has extra moving boxes, I'd love you forever if we could use them!!!

It's official!!!

2009-01-14T06:42:00.003-07:00

So, as I had said in an earlier post, Nick and I were trying to trade in two cars for a new one. We were trying to trade in his 2000 Ford F150 and his 2003 Hyundai Tiburon. They both kept breaking down and we wanted something that had good gas mileage and that we wouldnt have to keep spending money to fix up. So we decided on a 2007 Nissan 350Z (that's orange haha). We have had SO many issues trying to get it. We tried with just my credit (that's too limited), my credit with Nicks (which isnt so great at the moment), and my credit with Nick's grandma's (who also apparently doesnt have much credit).

They ended up calling us telling us to bring it back and we'll get some other car. Nick was REALLY bummed out cuz he wanted to at least race the car once. So on the way to the dealership he burned out the tires REALLY well (haha we had to air out the car the whole way there) and he took off his racing sticker when we got there. They originally told us (after waiting a half hour) that they might just need to change the number of months that we lease it for. So we get all excited. And bummed that Nick took the sticker off. He only had one. Then they come back and say that if we DONT trade in the cars, they can get me financed for the 350Z without anyone else's credit with it.

... yeah. Since we can afford 3 car payments *rolls eyes*. They have all of our info, they should know we couldnt afford that.

So they tell us the only way they can get us financed is for a much cheaper car. So Nick and I go look.

And look...

And keep looking...

It's dark and like two hours later and we're like "what the heck, what's taking them so long" so we go back and find our guy and he's like "I have a couple things to run past you" and i'm like "uh oh. I dont like that." So we sit down and brace ourselves.

He said "We've had the car over 60 days and we dont want it back..." so basically, we get the car for $4000 less that what we originally leased it for, a better interest rate, same term, and we save $120 a month on payments. Plus insurance will now be $70 cheaper a month.

We thought we had an amazing deal in the first place. We basically got all the money we owed on the trade ins (minus $1000) and we get an 07 350Z with only 8000 miles on it (and is worth $26000) for $18000.

Can anyone say AWESOME?!?!?!

Nick doesnt have another racing sticker for the club he races in, so that's a bummer, but it's official that we have the car :) So pictures to come!!!! It's a sexy little car.

We're so stoked.

I just needed to get this out

2009-01-05T13:48:00.002-07:00

I know it's been a couple of weeks since I've posted, and a LOT has happened... I didn't take pictures so I've just kind of put off writing about it. I'll put a quick summary though to catch you up. Each one of these WOULD have been it's own entry with details and such haha, but here it is in short version:

Summary:
~ Christmas was amazing - Christmas Eve was spent in Show Low, drove up with Shenan and Nick in his truck (yay for 4-wheel drive in snow!), got lots of amazing stuff from my family. Christmas Nick and I went to his brothers house where his whole family was and we exchanged gifts and ate food and played guitar hero until after midnight.
~ All we've done for vacation is play the games we got for Christmas and watch movies we got for Christmas... pajamas are our daily outfits unless we go out
~ I'm out of work looking for a job and can't find one that works with my work schedule so I'm considering dropping out of the speed for this semester, work full-time and take night classes for sign-language until I can find a job that will let me do school in the mornings and I work afternoons. You wouldn't think it'd be that hard. Stupid economy *shakes fist*
~ Nick and I hosted a New Years Eve party where a lot of people showed up that I wasn't expecting. It was a nice surprise. Things got a little crazy later in the night though... I guess that's what happens when there is alcohol consumed though. *shrug* it's new years, what do you expect haha. People finally left around 2:30am.
~ New Years Day we went to a party at a friends house an hour away and played games until after midnight
~ On Dec 29th Nick and I traded in his truck and car for a 2007 350Z that's orange (I know, it's kinda crazy) and things were all good and fine until this last weekend when financing called me saying that my credit is amazing but limited because I havent had a loan like this taken out before and my income is too not-stable (*shakes fist at economy*) and Nick's credit has too many hiccups but good income and they could finance us if we had a joint credit but we dont (we just got married of course we dont) so they want someone ELSE on our loan for the car. There's no reason we shouldn't get financed it's just been a huge headache. We were at the dealer until after 1am just to get the car and now they're saying they might have to take it back because they assumed we'd get financed. They assumed correct, the banks are stupid. We make enough to make this, it's not much more than what we were paying for the other cars... it's my stupid LIMITED credit that wont let us get it. Ugh. Now we have to beg someone to be on our loan with us but no one in my family can do it, so I'm PRAYING Nick's grandma will sign for us. She's done it before so hopefully it'll work this time. I just dont want to have gone through all this to give back a car.
~ Looking at moving out with some couple friends into a house to make rent cheaper.

So that's that. Now on to what I needed to get at.

Shenan,
You're amazing, and you don't deserve anything that's happening to you right now. But I love you, forever and always, no matter what. And someone else will too, a boy that won't care about any of this crap. That I will promise you. You are such an insanely amazing person. Pick yourself up and start over again. It's not the end of the world :) You have so much talent, it makes me envious. You have so much goin for you. I feel so stuck where I'm at. You have dreams and plans and the ambition to get there. Go for it doll.
I love you babe.
<3

FINAL-LY!!!

2008-12-19T09:15:00.004-07:00

So my work Christmas party was yesterday (more about that later, hopefully with video haha) and I wasn't able to go to my last class of Medical Terminology to take my final. I had talked to my teacher ahead of time and she was going to let me take it early. Well, after I took it, the testing center "couldn't find it" and "had no record" of me showing up to take it.

*shakes fist at student interns*

She wanted to believe me but there was no proof of me being there. So the only thing I could do was actually show up for class and take it. The final is a full letter grade, and I have an A for the semester. A B isn't bad, but knowing that I could have an A is better.

So, having carpooled to the Christmas party, I begged my ride to drive me to school halfway through the party. She had to study for class anyway so she agreed.

I show up to class feeling ready... I had taken this test once before. 30 multiple choice, and 20 definitions, like the teacher had told us coming up to it. Well she shows up and passes out a packet. I look down....

there was a thick "thud" when she dropped it in front of us all. This was a different test. 80 multiple choice questions and only 10-15 definitions. I've gotten all 100% minus two 97% quizzes this semester in this class... but I definately got less than that on this final. Seeing a different test than what I was expecting -- than anyone in the class was expecting -- threw my groove off. I couldn't remember words that I knew I knew.

I look at the first question. The VERY FIRST QUESTION on the test. *sigh* this is so embarrassing.

1. "Spondylarthritis" means (I'm thinking here, I know "-itis" is inflammation of, and "arthr/o" is joint... the multiple choice can give me clues to the first word... I know it... can't think of it right now) inflammation of (crap there goes one) the joints in (uh-oh...) what?

a. fingers
b. vertabrae
c. kneecap
d. toes

... I circle toes first... cuz I know the bones in the fingers are carpels... didnt know the rest... and then I'm thinking 'that can't be it... this is the freaking first one on the test too... first one she'll see... this sets the record for the rest of the test... ugh' So I cross it out and circle vertabrae. Pulled it out of thin air. I had no idea. Some of the other questions on the test I just completely guessed at.

Well, I come home and tell my mom how horrible I feel about this test... I tell her this first question. She's like "well spond sounds like spine" and it smacks me in the head. DUH!!! That's how I remembered it in the other quizzes!!! Ugh. Simple things that I forget because I just wasnt ready for the book that was put infront of me and I freaked myself out.

BUT IT'S OVER!!!! FINALLY!!!! WOOHOO!!!! *happy dance*

The semester is OVER!

Who can pass up a photo op?

2008-12-11T19:59:00.007-07:00

So Shenan came over tonight to eat one of my cookies and then steal my camera for her trip to Utah this weekend. She's busy with her roomates tonight decorating the house and I guess she had some time before they got home so she stayed with Nick and I to gossip and to take advantage of having my camera. Shenan LOVES to take pictures, so we decided to have a photo op.

Here's what transpired:

No one ever said they would be pretty pictures :)

This is us trying not to smile...

Aw, cute

Shenan's giraffe neck...

Slightly evil face on my part

The one actual picture we took

Lol Shenan struggles

Haha, Shenan...

What? Don't mess...

My squirrel teeth... and shenan must have just farted...

Look! Tongues!

So, there you go. That was us being bored and taking pictures together :) We are oh, so photogenic :)

Cookie cutter disaster

2008-12-11T19:46:00.002-07:00

So my mom bought me Christmas cookie cutters to use, and I figured since I promised my brother-in-law that I would make him cookies (in exchange for the lasagna the family made last weekend) that I would try out the cookie cutters. There's a snowman, a gingerbread lady, gingerbread man, a candy cane, a stocking, and a Christmas tree. I guess they were meant for sugar cookies... and I made chocolate/butterscotch chip cookies. I would fill in the cookie cutters with the dough and lift them up to leave the print of the cutter. It looked all pretty, so I figured when it cooked it would look great.

...

... definately did not look so pretty coming out of the oven. The left is the snowman, next is the gingerbread lady upside down, then the candy cane, then the stocking upside down, then the christmas tree... and i gave up and made regular circle cookies after that. Much faster to make.

So I was disappointed. I wanted cute cookies. Instead I got weird shaped blobs that have chocolate and butterscotch chips in them. Ah well. Good thing my brother-in-law likes my cookies anyway.

Shenan's Blog

2008-12-11T12:43:00.000-07:00

So, my sister got a blog because she thought mine was so pretty :) *awww*

So go add her if you're interested!

shenansjournal.blogspot.com

Christmas is almost here!!! ACK!

2008-12-10T08:47:00.007-07:00

So, opposite of usual tradition... I have nothing set up for Christmas yet. I have something like 15 days left until Christmas. I still have to buy presents, send out gifts, set up my Christmas tree, put out the wreath and table centerpieces, make fudge and caramel popcorn, make Nick a stocking for my parent's house, make Nick and I a stocking for our house.... *sigh* so much to do!!!

Luckily I know WHAT I'm going to buy for everyone, I just need the money (yay for a Christmas bonus from work next week!) and time to go get it.

The Christmas tree was supposed to go up the Friday after Thanksgiving. We've meant to do it every weekend after that and it's still in the storage closet outside. OH! And Nick and I are supposed to get an ornament for our first Christmas together (married, that is).

We made caramel popcorn a couple of days ago... and we ate it all, haha. So much for gifts. Just means I got to make more :)

I started the stocking for Nick for my parent's house... I didn't realize how much work those things are! I have everything cut out, I just need to add the sequence and beads and then sew it all together. And the stockings for our little place are like twice as big as the ones at my parents house. I bought stockings that were already sewn together for our house to save time and effort so all I had to do was decorate it... the decorating is what takes so long! Hopefully I have it done in time for Christmas!

I'm stressing out. Our place looks not ready at all for Christmas. I just have the cookie train and Nick's dragster set out, and a Christmas puzzle that we're putting together.

I'll definately be busy these next couple of weeks!!!

Nick survey

2008-12-08T18:28:00.000-07:00

I found this on a friend's blog, I figure it'll be a good challenge for me, and since he's so quiet and doesn't share much about himself to others (he's REALLY shy... I dont even have many pictures of him) I'll let you guys in.

1. Where did you meet your husband? At Applebees when I was with my boyfriend (his best friend) and he was engaged to his last girlfriend (haha... my life is a soap opera)... we kind of hit it off immediately.

2. How long did you date? we dated almost 4 months before we got engaged, knew each other over a year before we got engaged though.

3. How long have you been married? 4 and a half months (almost)

4. What does he do that surprises you? makes up random songs and sings them to me

5. What is your favorite feature of his? his eyes, they're gorgeous. his smile, it's so true. his arms, they're SO strong (yay for the army). his heart, so pure.

6. What is his best quality? he's so incredibly selfless

7. Does he have a nick name for you? schnookie

8. What is his favorite food? anything I make for him, haha. jk. his grandmother's homemade meatballs, and homemade italian lasagna

9. What is his favorite sport? car racing

10. When and where was your first kiss? Dec 3, 2007... we kissed before our first date *gasp*. yeah, I know. It was at my ex-boyfriend's house.

11. What is your favorite thing to do as a couple? watch movies and cuddle on the couch

12. Do you have children? Nope, and wont for a couple of years

13. Does he have hidden talents? He is HILARIOUS. He is just so funny, and so few people get to see that side of him.

14. How old is he? 27

15. Who said I love you first? He made me do it. He would have but heard from my ex-boyfriend that I thought we were going way too fast. He knew I wanted to say it but was scared to so he kinda coaxed it out of me, and wouldnt say it until I did. But we both knew it long before we said it.

16. His favorite music? hard rock/heavy metal (yuck) but he doesnt mind most of my music

17. What to you admire most about him? He is SO patient with me, always knows how to calm me down, how to make me smile, how to talk about what's bothering me, he forgives easily, he's extremely hardworking, he's very loyal, he always showers me with kisses and hugs and loves... i love him :)

18. What is his favorite color? purple

19. Will he read this? probably not.

20. Who do you tag? Since I didn't really get tagged, whoever wants to do it!!!

Welcome to us -- I mean me... but us

2008-12-08T18:02:00.000-07:00

Hello :)

I'm Aubrey, 23, and my wonderful hubby is Nick, 27. We've been married just over 4 months now, and love every bit of it. We met through my ex-boyfriend, a good friend to both of us. We started dating on Dec. 3, 2007, got engaged March 22, 2008, married on July 26, 2008.

Piano is my life. It's how I express myself and am able to release emotions. I used to major in piano performance, and someday, once I graduate in court stenography, I'll go back and finish that degree. It means so much to me. I love to read, accompany (on the piano of course), do puzzles, play games, make crafts, paint, sketch, record arrangements, write letters, play poker (I guess that's a game haha), and spoil my hubby.

Nick is kind of a geek :) He loves computer games, rc cars and helicopters, puzzles, fixing cars, racing cars (SCCA racing), flying, making model airplanes helicopters and cars, play poker, play the wii and xbox 360, and me (haha). He was in the army for 4 years, including a tour in Iraq. Luckily, he saw no real action. He would repair helicopters and tanks, mainly welding. He went to school to fly helicopters and has 33 flight hours currently. He's now going to school taking some automotive classes until I graduate from school so we can afford flight school again. He is working building turbine engines, managing the hydroform center. He works hard, 50-60 hrs a week, so we don't have much time together, but enjoy every minute we get.

I have another online journal but decided to start a blog for my hubby and me. I told Nick about it today and he rolled his eyes and said have fun. So... it'll be more me than him... more me than us... I guess.

I look forward to finding more people on here, and letting people into our life.

So, welcome to us :)