Dear Scott...

I was mad at you. It was a dirty, rotten trick you played on me yesterday morning. You KNEW it was my Christmas. You KNEW I was so excited I could hardly sit still. And still you chose to do this to me:

I'm so sorry to send this to you. You can try calling but I suspect they'll be gone.
-Scott -

-----Original Message-----
From: EDITED
Sent: Tuesday, April 28, 2009 8:22 AM
To:EDITED
Subject: Performance Cancellation 4/28/09

Your Mom is going to be super disappointed.
-Lorisa

-----Original Message-----
From: boxoffice@arttix.org
Sent: Tuesday, April 28, 2009 12:10 AM
To: EDITED
Subject: Performance Cancellation 4/28/09

Due to a gas leak at the Capitol Theater discovered after last night's performance, the Tuesday (4/28/09) and Wednesday (4/29/09) performances of Wicked will be cancelled. Ticket holders should call EDITED immediately for refunds or re-ticketing options. This performance will not be rescheduled and only 100 tickets were held for reserve. Tickets will be sold at face value to the first 100 callers.

Our apologies,
ArtTix

When you walked to my office space, you KNEW I wouldn't see the grin on your face because my head was in my hands.

To your credit (and this might have saved your life) you put me out of my misery quickly by answering YOUR phone with "This is Scott, and I just got you GOOD." My heart didn't stop pounding for a long time.

Your life is saved, and now that we've seen the play, all is forgiven. Thank you for offering to purchase tickets for me so I could get the discounted rate. Thank you for staying online with me ALL. MORNING. LONG. on Halloween Day trying to get tickets. Thank you for going to ArtTix to pick up tickets when we were unable to make the online thing work. Thank you for being excited for us. Thank you for remembering that yesterday was Christmas (even if you did pull a rotten trick). Thank you for asking me first thing this morning how it was. Thank you for not ruining some of the plot twists, especially the ending. Thank you for not rolling your eyes when I sing along with "Popular."

You are a cherished friend, and now I will forever connect you with this awesome play!

Love,

Aundrea

Celebrating Life

This post will not be that interesting or funny, but my heart is filled with gratitude, and I believe I will record it here. You will not hurt my feelings if you exit this blog now--I will never know! :)

My mom turns 60 today. She's an incredible lady, and she has been my hero my whole life. She has an incredible moral compass, and I will always choose the right if I ask myself "What would Mom say/do?"

My boss's daughter in Idaho had a 6 pound, 9 ounce baby boy this morning. All is well with both. I can't help but think today is a great day to have a birthday! (Now if they'd just hand him to the strange woman working in Grandpa's office so she could kiss and squeeze. I doubt that's going to happen.)

The gospel is true. What an amazing gift!

The Holy Ghost witnesses, reminds, protects, and guides. I cherish this gift, especially when I forget and receive a sweet reminder.

My sweetheart loves me. I love him. We love our kids. They love us. "...and so you see, we are a happy family." The other day our daughter was texting a friend and reported to me how sad it was that his family shared nothing--no possessions, no time, and not much love. We are so grateful for each of our children, who also happen to be fabulous people who we get to associate with daily. Life is blessed and full and wonderful.

My health is really good. I could stand to lose a few pounds. I need to get back on the exercise wagon. But I'm not blind or numb or shaky or weak. I can walk, talk, and take care of myself and others. For someone who has MS, this is a miracle, and my heart is filled.

Today is Christmas. Spencer and I finally get to see Wicked tonight!

We have employment. We are so grateful to have good employment.

We are surrounded by AWESOME people. Look around you--you are, too! Isn't it fabulous how many wonderful people there are in this world? Too bad all we ever hear reported is the bad stuff. I'm still convinced that in this world there are more good people than bad, more good events than bad, more happy stuff than sad.

Have a happy, grateful day!

Eating My Words -OR- STOP MURMURING!

Tonight I got to sing at a stake-sponsored art exhibit. This is a really nice exhibit. It's open to the public for the next two evenings. If you have some time, you ought to come.

All of that said, I have spent the day grumpy and murmuring. It's because I'm tired. It's because I've done nothing but church stuff all freakin' week. It's because I really just want to get OUT of my nylons and INTO my jammies. It's because there ought to be SOMEONE else who will do something. It's because I'm a stinkin', rotten BRAT.

So I came home and pouted some more. And then I put on the nylons and the heels and headed to the building. Where my friend, Sandy (who pulled me into this), announced that her mother died today. Where my friend, Annalee, agreed to sing "The Lord Is My Shepherd" with me. Where my friends, Phil and Eric, just played for me while I sang because I asked them to--even without prior notice OR rehearsal. Where I felt the Spirit of the Lord.

And I wonder--Why do I murmur? It always turns out to be worth it. Even in hose and heels. Even on a Friday night away from home. Even without my family there.

I already know the answer: I'm a spoiled, rotten BRAT! Thank goodness Heavenly Father loves me and blesses me anyway. Imagine how much more I'd be blessed WITHOUT the murmuring.

Note to self: Shut up and do it. (You'll be glad, I promise.)

N0te to my co-workers: Thank you for listening. And loving me anyway.

Things I'm Looking Forward To...

Another checklist: (This is in no particular order and will change daily.)

1. Briana's report on Prom tonight. She is leaving before I get home from work. She dressed up for me last night so I could oooh and ahhh; and her dad has explicit instructions to get pictures before she leaves!

2. Reflections of Christ. This is a wonderful photography exhibit that our stake is hosting. I get to sing there tonight.

3. A rainy weekend. While I love a good spring rain, I really think we've had spring storms ENOUGH. (This particular part of my list might contain some sarcasm.)

4. Wicked. This one's for real. Spencer's and my turn to celebrate Christmas is in just 4 days!

5. There are 49 days till youth conference begins. I get to have a 5:00 p.m. meeting on Sunday. And make some more phone calls. And do more shopping. And scheduling. And planning.

6. The end of the work day is in exactly 4 hours, 2 minutes.

7. Landon's first lacrosse game is on Saturday. This will be fun.

8. Spencer and I are joining some of my work friends for dinner and playing around on Saturday night. Go Jazz!

9. The Sterling Singers are performing on Sunday.

And that will bring us back to Monday again. :)

Spotlight On..

These are my parents, Shauna and Jon Fish. Some FAQs about them:

1. They were high school enemies/sweethearts in Heber, Utah.

2. They have five children and twenty grandchildren.

3. They love to travel.

4. They love to do pretty much anything together. Mom's not an athlete and Daddy's not a daredevil, but they still go to amusement parks and ballgames together.

5. They've been married for 41 years. Straight. To each other.

6. They weigh... Well, never mind the particulars. But thanks to their healthy lifestyle, they are both in fabulous shape right now!

Here is a non-comprehensive list of things that I love about them:

1. They've always been interested in what I was doing and who I was with. They even blog-stalk my friend Amy. In fact, my mom knew Amy was pregnant before I did. That hurts. A little.

2. They continue to teach me. And my brothers and sisters. And our children. Right is right, and wrong is wrong, and they stand as moral compasses for me. While many kids wanted to do things just to "show" their parents, I always cared about doing the right thing for them. I still do.

3. They are completely devoted to each other. This is perhaps the greatest blessing any child could ever receive!

4. They are cute. I'm glad for that, because at different times of my life I've been told that I look like both of them. :)

5. They know how to love, and they show that love isn't just how you feel--it's how you behave and how you ARE. I'm still working on that, but I have excellent examples!

6. They have always made me feel valued. I could go on and on about this one, but the bottom line is I have never felt looked down upon for being a child, being a girl, being stupid, or being whatever else I might be. OK, maybe once, Daddy, but I'm over it. Really. :)

7. They are generous. This has been a blessing for our family and for many people we love and for many people we don't even know.

8. They are happy and positive. While I was growing up, everything was an adventure, and as long as we were together it was OK. That's a great way to start a life, and a great characteristic to emulate!

I could go on and on. Mostly I want you to know that NOBODY has better parents than I have! I love you, Mom and Daddy!

Impressive!

Here is a video clip of Spence at about Mile 14. ...makes me tired just to think about it...

My Day of Rest

OK, the truth is that Sunday is not restful. It's just the day to do the rest of the things you need to do. In Mormonism, you could read this as "Attend Meetings."

I love partaking of the sacrament. I went to Sacrament Meeting at 11:00. Primary was from 12:20 to 2:00. We cancelled the home teachers so that we could eat as a family. Spencer and I had a 4:30-5:30 meeting (which actually ended at 5:45). I had a 5:30 choir practice, which led to a visit from a sister at 9:30 p.m. I also had a meeting from 7:45 to 9:00. So I basically had meetings (with a couple of short breaks) for 10 hours yesterday.

And ward council was cancelled in the morning!

Everyone take a DEEP breath. And go back to work! You need the rest!

Bragging

My sweetheart, Spencer Hill, #1217, finished the Salt Lake City Marathon in 3 hours 55 minutes today. Incredible! (That's about a 9-minute mile for those of you who don't want to the do the math.)

I'm impressed.

Tag #2--I'm Really Thankful!

Thanks to Jessica for this tag. Here are 5 things I'm thankful for:

1. My family. Actually, I could list Spence and our children individually, but that seemed like cheating. I am so grateful to be a wife to this extremely wonderful man and a mother to our beautiful, talented children. BTW, anyone who doesn't adore and enjoy their teenagers is missing out on one of the most fun stages of life!

2. My job. Since this is a different season in my life than 10 years ago, I went back to work full time. I took the place of someone who was leaving full time employment to be a mommy full time. If she has the best job in the world (and nothing beats being Mom), then mine is the second best. The people I work with, the environment I get to spend my day in, even the work I do is THE BEST. I am happy to go to work every day. I believe that is an incredible blessing, and I hope you all get to be that happy in your employment! Thanks, Tim, for letting Jessica be a full-time wife and mom; it gave me the chance to have the best job ever! (Amy, you're still just mediocre--don't get any ideas!) AND, in these difficult economic times, it is a blessing to have employment at all. I thank heaven daily for this incredible blessing.

3. The restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Heavenly Father's plan for our happiness is a gift to all of His earthly children. What makes it even more incredible for me (and most of the people I know) is that I KNOW His plan. I have the temple, the scriptures, the prophets, the priesthood ordinances and covenants, and the direction that can lead us back to our heavenly home--and beyond! I could go on and on. I love the gospel and I'm thankful for the direction it gives my life every day and in every way. I'm far from perfect, but it makes a difference, I promise.

4. A healthy body. There was a time when I thought that this would not be my blessing by the time I got to the ripe old age of 40. While I feel the aches and pains that are coming with middle age (did I really just say that? No! I'm YOUNG!), I am in fabulous health, and I'm able to do the things I want to do.

5. The chance I've had to travel. I hope to do a lot more of this as the years pass. With Spencer. I love to see all the different parts of the world--the geography, the people, the customs, the food. I love it all! I really haven't been to very many places. But I've been in a tropical rain forest and an arctic rain forest; I've been to our nation's capital (sp?); I've seen banana trees and coconut trees and cactus and evergreens; I climbed the ziggurat at Chichen Itza; I've been scuba diving (sigh! Heaven!), hiking, cruising, kayaking. Every little thing is heavenly. Imagine a celestial world!--This telestial world is amazing!

I could go on and on, but I think I was limited to 5, and you don't want to read all night. Tag! You're it!

Tag #1--Things I Like About Me

This idea came from Jen, who sort of got the idea from me. (Isn't it great how we help each other?)

I like that I...

...laugh easily. Unlike Jen, I am getting scowl lines, but I promise they are just from concentrating. I hope I get lots of laugh/smile lines, because I love to laugh!

...have empathy for people, even if it means that I cry a lot. Joy or sorrow, nobody cries alone.

...have dark brown hair. OK, it's going lighter (no! it's NOT gray!), but I've always like my hair color. I know this is a little shallow, but I'm not exactly a super-model; I think it's OK to like my hair color. :)

...can organize things. You wouldn't always know it from the condition of our home, but I can organize time, events, etc., etc. This has allowed me opportunities to work with fantastic people, lead organizations, and keep my sanity.

...am confident. People may think I'm cocky or overbearing. If that's what you think, I am truly sorry. It's just that I can think for myself, act for myself, decide for myself, and express myself. If you don't want to know, you better not ask me! The good news is that I can take all of this from you, too; and I can agree to disagree with you without being rude or angry.

Tag! You're it!

Dear Runner:

Did you really get to run today? I'm just wondering, because I was awed by you.

First of all, you weren't very tall, especially compared to your great dane, who nearly reached your shoulders. He was obviously a very friendly dog. He greeted the little mop-dog who passed you just ahead of me with a lot of enthusiam. Luckily mop-dog's "mom" was obviously a dog-lover, so she and mop-dog stopped and visited with you. Your dog did pretty well sitting nicely once the original niceties were done. That was lucky, because that first greeting nearly pulled you off your feet.

It probably would have been easier to hold onto your dog if your right hand wasn't occupied with your coolio three-wheeled running stroller, only half-filled with your adorable 5- to 6-month old baby. Mop-dog's mommy had to meet him, too. I don't blame her; I would have loved to make his acquaintance myself!

And just out of curiosity, where is Mommy in all of this? Don't get me wrong. I'm a mom myself, and I know how precious some "me" time can be. Is that why you had both the baby and the dog--to save Mommy's sanity? If that is the case, you are a good man. And a brave one. I doubt the Jordan River Parkway is where I would take them both for a little getaway.

So I'm still wondering--did you really get to run today? I'll bet you need a nap...

Merry Christmas!

About 45 minutes ago our children left to celebrate Christmas. They got into the van (Briana has a driver's license, remember?) and followed the directions they looked up on Google to find the Capitol Theatre, where they are seeing "Wicked."

Scott knew that I was a "Wicked" fan. OK, I've never seen the show, but I love the music!. So when his bank emailed him (and all their other clients) and said they were pre-selling "Wicked" tickets at a discounted price, he asked if I wanted to get some through him. The tickets went on sale on Halloween Day. You should have seen the two of us, trying to get online to purchase tickets--along with about 90% of Salt Lake City's population--and getting kicked off over and over again. He finally drove to ArtTix on his lunch break and bought 6 tickets for me. (Have I ever mentioned how much I love the people I work with?)

Unfortunately, it was impossible to get six tickets all on the same date. So he got four for April 11th, and two for April 28th. And none of the seats are next to one another. But here's the thing--I didn't care! I was going to finally see Wicked!

I saved the tickets and we gave them to our children for Christmas. You need to know that these tickets, a ceramic pot made by their dad, and a trip to Grandpa and Grandma's in California were ALL we gave our children. So I was really excited for them to see their tickets. The boys didn't react at all (quite disappointing), but the girls both literally tackled me and covered my face with kisses. My best Christmas EVER! Ever since then we have looking forward to today.

However, Landon had a sleepover last night (read: didn't sleep at all); Bri and Ash stayed out till 1:00 a.m. last night; and Taylor's just a 16-year-old boy who doesn't get too worked up over anything. So they all went "bumming" out the door (Spencer said), while we waved and watched them go. And we still have 17 days to wait for our turn to see the play.

I swear, if SOMEONE doesn't come home THRILLED by this experience, I may cry. Oh, how I hope they have a wonderful time!

Merry Christmas, kids!

Thoughts...

On fertility: I am. Blah.
On pregnancy: I'm not. Woot!
On whether or not I can come out and play: NO! AND DON'T COME BACK FOR FIVE TO SEVEN DAYS! (name that movie)

Eavesdropping

I am now going to let you eavesdrop on a conversation I had this afternoon. I was returning a call to my boss:


Me: Hi.


Boss: We have a small emergency.


Me: OK?...


Boss: If you want to see the cherry blossoms, you're going to have to come out today. Tonight's storm is probably going to wipe them all out.


Me: (Laughter)


Boss: It's pretty cold and windy, so make sure you grab your jacket. But you really need to come outside.


Me: (still laughing) Don't take this in a creepy way, Dave, but I love you! Thanks for calling!


Dave: (Now laughing) Bring your jacket.


Here is an example of what I saw:

Magnolias (revisited) and cherry trees

Top picture is the magnolia shrubs. They're not quite there yet, but they are budding. The next picture down is the magnolia trees. The frost got quite a few of the blossoms, but what is there is lovely. I'm told that if you've seen the magnolias in the South you don't really think our trees are worthy of being called magnolias. You can call them whatever you want--I'm just glad to see the spring!

The bottom picture is of the flowers, the cherry blossoms, and the temple. Just go ahead and try!

Nothing is good after 15 minutes. Except M&M's

I had a meeting today that went WAY longer than it needed to. One person in particular took up a full half hour. Ugh.

This experience has led me to consider what--if anything--is worth staying longer than 15 minutes for. Seriously.

Most sporting events are divided into 15 minute (or shorter) periods.

I can shower AND shave in 10. My hair takes longer, but I don't think it's worth the wait.

The prophet only speaks about our eternal salvation for 20 minutes at a time. That's worth staying for.

Dinner is worth staying for. Especially if there's dessert.

Sharing Time lasts 20 minutes max. I hope that's worth staying for, but some days--I will admit--it's just not worth it. For me or for the kids.

Space Mountain is worth the wait. The Matterhorn definitely is not.

Nothing at any store is worth that kind of wait. Especially on Black Friday.

Olive Garden is worth the wait. That might be the only restaurant worth waiting for (for me).

The temple is worth the wait.

Any vacation is worth waiting for. I will wait a half hour or more for a good play or concert--but then I can usually break it up with good conversation and a snack!

Maybe I should have brought M&M's to the meeting today...

It's Lax Season

Taylor has been playing lacrosse for several years now. He loves it. During lax season he is often one running bruise. He also falls into bed at night. But everything revolves around lacrosse. Since his coaches are (usually) gentlemen and they teach respect for the game, their team members, and the other teams, we encourage him to be involved.

This is a pic of T on the faceoff. He's facing us, in the light blue helmet. He's fast enough on the faceoff that at this particular game he had the other kid jumping the gun (illegal procedure).

His stick is his constant companion at this time of year. I think he might have named "her" once, but I can't remember what the name was.

BTW, if you want to watch a fun sporting event, men's lacrosse is your game.

Blog This, Baby!

I've been trying to find an excuse for WEEKS to show you a picture of my friend, Amy. Here it is, only I'm not going to tell you about Amy this time.

This time I'm going to tell you about Tahnee. (Her picture is below). Tahnee is a beautiful, talented, confident, funny, and very thoughtful friend I have at work. She is a great secretary (VERY mediocre!). But the thing I love best about Tahnee is how teachable she is. She will joke her way through everything, but in the end she is so willing to learn and to try to improve in every way, including secretarials skills, gospel learning, and personal growth.

Today Tahnee sent me and Amy each flowers. The card says "For everything you've done, and for being a great friend!" I don't even know what I've done, but I'm sure glad I did it!

Some things were just meant to be blogged. :)

Thanks, Tahnee!