winters in Southeast Idaho are usually miserable. they are cold, windy, dark, and full of snow. sure there are the holidays that help you get through the beginning of the long months ahead, but this year something was different. for 6 months i had been planning on spending this winter in Las Vegas, and sadly those plans fell apart. So when things started getting colder i was not looking forward to another SE Idaho winter, but for some reason i was blessed with one of the most mild winters ever! i knew my Father in Heaven was looking out for me when we didn't really get snow this year. sure it was cold, but nothing terrible.
its now the middle of march, and the sun is shining and i am a happy girl. i have been able to have some life changes that have allowed me more time to spend time in the beautiful sunshine and get a jump start on my chaco line! i have been outside working in the yard, reading on the deck, going for walks along the river and even braving a very muddy city creek trail! as i was going through some posts on pintrest tonight i found this saying that i had heard before, but until today i hadn't really had any meaning. "Turn your face to the sun, and the shadows fall behind you."
After all the things that happened last year, i had fallen into a small case of depression, i couldn't see anything in front of me because i was holding on so tight to those memories that were keeping me in the shadows. as i realized this it was like a shock to my system that i was letting the past control my present, and my future. there are still small moments where i find myself slipping back, but after today, i know that my future is bright and full of love and light. and by keeping my face towards the sun, that those dark shadows that have had a hold of me for so long are going to keep falling farther and farther behind me.
so about a week ago my roommates boyfriend was telling me about how he helped his roommate make some chili, and that he was pretty sure it was going to win the Ward Chili Cook-off this week. So me being an Andrus started telling him that mine would be better. I know I know... be humble. but I really was just kidding. I wasn't going to enter the cook-off. But after Tyleen helped talk up my game about being such a good cook I had to. Right?
So Sunday rolls around, and the guy I had been saying I could beat brings me the sign up sheet. I fill out the sheet with the following information
Name:
#1, Amy Andrus
The kind of Chili:
Better than Thomas' chili
I had to leave after I signed up, but apparently there was some serious trash talking going on. So its probably a good thing I wasn't there. I told some people in the ward I don't care if I win, I just want to beat Thomas.
So today is the day of the cook-off. I throw together some beans and chicken and salsa and some other ingredients together, and let it cook for a few hours while I go and play with my sister Katy, and her little girls. I mean look at this picture.... who wouldn't want to spend as much time with these two babies as they possibly can!!
my mom holding alyssa and hailey mae on the terrace at Mammoth Hot Springs this summer
There were 9 other entries to the competition. one of them being Vanilla Bean Ice Cream!! Some had Elk meat, navy beans and ham, wax beans, Grouse, some of them were really spicy, some were sweet. some had a lot of ingredients, and some were really simple. I was really impressed with how many different variations there were. And most of them were surprisingly good.
The votes were cast, and then counted. and I ended up winning! I was so shocked! I felt bad about only wanting to beat Thomas, but the victory tasted good. Who doesn't like winning? Of course the first person I called was my mom to let her share in my victory, she after all taught me how to cook, I just have to make sure I have my chacos on in the kitchen!!
so if any of you know me, you know of my love for popcorn. this week i have been dreaming of popcorn! okay not really dreaming of it, but i have missed a lot of sleep because of it.
i accepted the task of being on our credit event team at work, and by doing so was put in charge of making treats for the even this weekend. i decided to make yummy gooey popcorn treats. S'mores popcorn, peanut butter popcorn,and white chocolate popcorn.
my adventures started out great. My sister mallory and my friend mike helped in the cause! towards the end they felt like slaves! So at the end of thursday night i felt like we accomplished alot (including a batch of Homemade cinnamon rolls). but on friday when i got to work, they said in needed to make double that amount!!! so, i did just that, sadly it was almost 3 in the morning when in finally got done making the popcorn friday night! and it was just in time to get a few hours of shut eye before going in for THE BIGGEST SALE OF THEM ALL!!!
It was a ton of fun, and well worth the lost sleep, im glad i have good friends,and family, and roommates who test my creations, and let me take over the kitchen for a few nights!
maybe some day i can have a side buisness making treats for people and their parties..... oh to have a dream of cooking with my chacos on!
last week my 4 sisters, my mom, and i went to the rascal flatts concert at the usana amphitheater in salt lake. i know sounds like a good time right. and it was....
awhile back my mom mentioned that she would love to go see rascal flatts in concert. all of us heard her. none of us did anything. until she mentioned it again. mallory and i checked out some venues, and decided salt lake would be fun, so we let mom know. again... nothing happened. so carli at the beginning of the summer mentions it to my mom, and then lets us all know that mom really wants to go. so naturally katy takes charge as the big sister, and gets things done. tickets are bought, and we surprise mom with tickets! she is thrilled!
so a few months later now, plans are in place, and we are on our way!
katy, mallory, and i leave pocatello, mom, laurie and carli, leave
wendell. we meet in tremonton. the pocatello girls got there a little
before the wendell crew. so naturally we take pictures...
katy excited to be taking pictures to pass the time! plus she is debuting her hot new haircut!
mallory taking a picture of me taking her picture
all i wanted is a picture of katy and mallory.... this and the next three pictures are what i got instead!
the real mallory only her sisters know!
they can't stop laughing!
mallory in her natural stance!
me, in a picture of a picture! my mom couldn't meet us fast enough!
so after eves dropping on a girl crying at arby's mom and the little girls were finally there! with laurie as the driver! we all got in the truck and were ready to party... except mom wanted it to be quiet so laurie could focus on driving... how boring right... so mallory decided to take more pictures along the journey...
laurie... too cool for traffic jams!
mom and mallory. of course mom is wearing her safety belt!
throwing the deuce, and carli with her normal "im taking a picture with amy face" sticking out her tongue!
katy... car sick! i think it was something to to do with stop and go, stop and go, or just sitting by carli!
so finally we get to our destination, and my mom is mesmerized with how many people there are. its her first concert, so it was pretty fun to see her expressions when she realized what was happening and all the people around us. the first guy on stage was some guy named justin moore who i honestly had no idea who he was.
we moved spots to have a better view, and boy did we. it was great. my mom was getting more and more excited about rascall flatts, and after we moved places, she seemed to loosen up a bit. but not too much! so we took another picture.
carli, mallory, mom, amy, laurie, katy was snapping the photo!
pretty soon sara evans came on stage, and my mom knew some of her songs, so she sang along. mallory and carli were just getting warmed up. i made some bets with mallory and carli. and lost on both! so i owe mallory lunch, and carli a $100, but she said she would settle for a $4.00 bottle of coke instead. i gladly agreed!
its funny how people loosen up and start to really enjoy themselves after the sun goes down, and the lights go off. there was a guy doing the jersey shore dance fist pumping, a guy wanting to do the twist like mallory was, some werido asking mallory if he could smell her after she had asked carli to smell her new perfume, and then randomly getting high fives from his friend. my sisters were a little werided out. i just thought we are at a concert. its normal! After sara sings her song stronger, which is one of my favorites we started losing interest and again, more pictures...
yes that is a diet coke! and no, katy is still taller than me, my hair is just bigger, and for the first time ever, longer!!
mom and katy, they both poofed their hair at the same time right before this pic!
the oldest, and the youngest. katy and carli.
then finally, just as it was getting to be bed time for mom, and katy, and laurie, rascal flatts came on! they had a really cool opening. so the sound quality isn't great, and this one is from youtube. but i couldn't get the video from katy to post here. so this is what you get! fun though huh!
so after all the dancing, and singing, and laughing so hard... the concert ended. and we walked the long walk back to the truck, and sat, and sat and sat. waiting to get out of the parking lot. i was pretty sure my mom was going to throw down with some chick that goes to school at the Y and was drinking and driving, but she kept her cool, for the most part!
we got to chili's and got some food in our stomachs, and hit the road. we talked and laughed the whole ride to tremonton. i love being in the car with my sisters, cause they are forced to talk about things! they can't escape! and there is something about being in the car with all of us andrus girls together, that we just can talk and talk and talk! i love it! before you know it, we are in tremonton, ready to go our separate ways.
we unload, and say our good-byes. mallory climbs in the back seat of my impala and goes right to sleep... i knew she would. which left katy and i alone to chat. it was perfect. another night full of adventure, in my chacos!
i am going to really miss my sisters and mom when i leave in 9 weeks. they really are my best friends. we might not be the kardashian sisters, but we don't have to be, we are and always will be ANDRUS'.
not at the concert. but all of us together this summer, plus katy's little girls who were born with the andrus attitude
somehow i always end up as the girl who is left behind, broken hearted, confused, and still wearing my chacos. maybe i need to gets some new shoes! ha thats crazy talk! right. i love my chacos, and the sweet tan line that lasts all year long. i miss it as it begins to fade, and i pray for sunshine to bring it back ever spring! those soles are well traveled and have walked many miles. Trudged through the snow, and jumped in rain puddles. floated rivers, and explored mountain sides. they have been with me in the sun, and sand. they have caught fish, and colds. they are like coming home when i slip into those straps, and tighten then down. they have seen me laugh so hard i cry, they have fed homeless veterans, and cooked meals for my friends. they have been with me as i realize i am alone, they have been with me as i see the light that shines from within. they are constant and true, they hold me together when i want to break free and run away. my chacos make me happy. my chacos help make me, me.
i have come to some realizations today, that not everything that we hope for comes true. sometimes, our heart gets ahead of head. and sometimes we still listen to our heart, knowing its wrong for so many reasons. i know that what i have wanted for so long is right at my fingertips, and i want to hold on to it. but just like sand, when you hold on too tight, it slips away. and before you know it, its gone, and you just have to dust off your hands and keep going on, preferably in chacos! ;)
i know this probably isn't making much sense to those of you who are reading it. but my mind is so full of thoughts and ideas right now. my heart is breaking. my head is confused about whats happening to my heart, and why i have all of these emotions. i am not sure of it myself, or how i am supposed to react to the things happening in my life. i want to just put my chacos on and drive until i don't feel anything, until i can't think anything.
so many things have happened in the last 5 months. im still processing emotions that i was too scared to face when they happened. and now not knowing where the next step is going to take me, makes me feel like i am just some crazy girl, who has crazy ideas, and wants nothing more than to find peace, and love. and maybe a long haired hippie! haha! or at least someone who is going to love her back.
i have a testimony of the gospel of jesus christ of latter-day saints. i know prayers are answered. i know that my savior lives. i know that he loved me, and died for me. i know that joseph smith was a prophet of god foreordained to restore the gospel on the earth in this last dispensation. i know that thomas s. monson is the prophet on the earth at this time. i know that by living the teachings and principals of the gospel that i can receive answers to prayers in my time of need if i will ask. i know that families can be together for ever. i know that it is through the peaceful and quiet whisperings of the spirit that i am prompted, and if i will act on those promptings that i am living the life that my father in heaven has prepared for me.
i write these things to remind myself that i know all of these things, because i have received an answer to a prayer. and that my heavenly father continues to answer prayers, if i will come to him, and humbly ask.
so. life is eventful and can take you down so many different paths. 5 years ago it lead me to Pocatello. I have made great friends and have made a ton of everlasting memories. but the one thing that I have really treasured the last 10 days, is the time I am able to spend with my sister Mallory.
She has taught me so much, and is always so much fun to be around. sometimes i feel like I have taken the relationship that we have always shared as sisters for granted. She has done so much for me in helping me to grow and to gain self-confidence that I lack. She is beautiful and is happy with who she is. I am so blessed to have her in my life.
I love being in the kitchen with Mallory. She always makes me laugh, and we have so much fun cooking things and just having great conversation. These are some pictures of one night in the kitchen with Mallory. She wanted Cinnamon Rolls, and I wanted to experiment with popcorn recipes for a work event. The outcome... cinnamon rolls, peanut butter popcorn, white chocolate popcorn with cashews, s'mores popcorn!
