Jim came to town.

This is father-in-law Jim. Doesn't he look like the life of the party? He is.

Last weekend he came to visit Camille, and Phil... and me too. We had a grand old time with Jim. We ate thai food, we watched the cougars beat colorado (I was in awe of the sheer volume of blue and white clad fans)... Jim and I hiked the Y on my first official "daddurday" (1,100 vertical feet in 1.5 miles), and the whole bunch of us got to watch Camille steal the show in her ward talent night. She directed and danced in a thrilling rendition of thriller (and might I add they did it all with 2 rehearsals). That family's got moves.

Tomorrow we have another visitor I am EXTREMELY excited about seeing... one of my wonderful sisters TARA (Courtney you are next if I have to kidnap you from your RA duties!). 

I'm so giddy I'm not sure I'm going to be able to sleep... or is that because of the fumes coming off of my latest furniture projects?

almost october.

Phil and (Ph)all last year

There are chubby orange pumpkins at the grocery store. They sit on hay bails by the sliding glass doors waiting for fingers to search through their pyramids to find the right one... just the right shape to become a cat, a witch, or a jack-o-lantern. When is the appropriate time to grab my own armful? 

The air feels even thinner here right now (hard to imagine) and crispier, like ginger ale. The tops of the mountains are blushing red with turning trees. The evenings are pure melted butter. It's GLORIOUS. 

I think fall is my favorite (at least at the moment). 

I've been cutting out little tiny paper bats. orange ones. purple ones. grey ones. I really need some black ones. I am dreaming of pumpkin smells and falling leaves. Crunchy crunchy delicious leaves. Where can I find a pile of leaves here in my little no backyard APT? 

Phil and I are brainstorming HALLOWEEN COSTUMES. Ideas appreciated. I am starting to really crave cheap candy.  We went on a walk this evening. This is something we like to do. It's free and makes me feel justified eating dessert. I had to put on a sweater which added to my excitement.

All of this to say it's almost October and I like it.

widdle me this.

Saturday

What to do on a yellow glowing afternoon in the great Utah Valley? That was PG and my question on this very Saturday. You see, we were getting cabin fever. BAD. In fact our temperatures were both hitting 100 degrees on the needtobreakfree scale by high noon mountain time.

There was only one problem. No ideas. Not a single shadow of an idea. That was until we remembered the internet (side story... in one of my lowest moments recently as a human being I asked Phil off-handedly... "how did people know how to get anywhere before mapquest?... cue lightbulb... Oh that's right. Maps!" I'm still paying for that with so much shame.) Anyway back to the world wide web; we googled (google is still magical to me) local provo events scrolled down to our desired day and what to our wondering eyes did appear but an exhibit.

Now for those of you reading who are unaware I love exhibits. ANY exhibit actually. I enjoy a good Egyptology or Natural History museum, and all things early American too but any space filled with learning and glass boxes and little explanations as to why said things are important enough to be in said boxes makes me just a special kind of joyful. 

Well this exhibition was a tad different. It was a one day display on (wait for it) WOOD. Carved, widdled, polished, painted... a Wood Sculpture Show to be exact. We weren't sure what to expect but we did know it was 3 dollars a pop and right down the street at the Provo City Library so off we jaunted to the wood chip festival and let me tell you something people, we learned. We gleaned from those tables full of little wooden cowboys and perfectly shaped three dimensional delicate curving maple leaves a new appreciation for the very rustic art that is carving. There were intricate sketches burned into planks and ostrich eggs carved so meticulously as to look like a perfectly starched globes of lace. We also saw a small child selling knives with a long and impressive rat tail...so Americana was definitely reached in full. And did I mention we got in for free? GRAND.

We finished off our Saturday with friends and candy and Jason's deli (california clubon croissant you are ecstasy to my soul) and dollar movies that are slightly more than a dollar (sue for false advertisement?)... moral of the story? A very good day indeed.

Phil and a hand carved set of chess

Did I mention the Provo City Library also houses a small display of local artwork including this beauty? Who knew Hilary Duff was so enshrined in the local library? Phil was happy to find her.

Below: me, a running horse mural and my favorite; the alpenhorns a la Ricola commercials.

Freezy and diseasy.

Moving in together brings with its' joys and lightheartedness... well... a lot of stuff. Aubrey stuff and Phil stuff and Aubrey and Phil stuff all trying to find a home in any corner, closet, or crevice. A move brings along so much stuff it can kind of gross you out, because stuff is just that... STUFF. Now that I've gone and used the worst word in the english language about 10 too many times I'll move to a funny story, tease phil, and hopefully make you smirk at your computer screen (blatant foreshadow).

So Phil has this certain object which he admires very much. It unites two of his most beloved and favorite entities in a symbiosis he finds glorious... cold beverages... and the San Francisco Giants. It's his Giants freezy mug. The mug was a christmas gift from sister VAL and it really is a sweet cup. The freezy trumped all other gifts of the season. An orange and black insignia graces not only the front but the back as well. It features a handle so as to not freeze your fingertips, and after leaving the chalice in the freezer for the desired time one can pour any drink into its' receptacle and enjoy a cool refreshing sip without adding ice. This little jewel has his heart.

Phil sort of uses the mug as his trophy of manhood, his shield from the dainty femininities (not a word. should be.) which have invaded his living quarters. He drinks from the G.F.M. (giants freezy mug. yes it has reached acronym status) at most dinner times and also finds it a great companion during his long arduous study sessions. The mug is his first mate.

Well I realized something funny last night. HE DON'T CLEAN THAT MUG. He drinks juice, milk, coke, water... between each use he rinses and returns freezy to the freezER. Just rinses and returns, rinses and returns people!!

....rinses...and...returns....

No soap, no dishwasher, no ginger scrub with a sponge or towel. Just a casual rinse. 

I caught him red handed returning post rinse and we laughed for what seemed like a whole day. Next we christened el muggo with a new and very  fitting name.... "Freezy diseasey" (ta-da!) because if my darling husband gets stomach flu or foot and mouth disease (actually have no idea how you get that but it's always sounded so yuck and drastic) we'll all know why. His mug is a cesspool of old drinks and mouth germs. 

Here for a reason.

will work for food

It's week 2 in Provo Utah and still no job. With PG's help we've applied to a big handful of places and talked to everyone we can about the local job hunt. Right now all we're hearing back is crickets. At first I was very upset. Very very upset. Upset with the completely depressed and depressing economy, upset I studied so long and so hard at such a renowned school... in a major which doesn't give you any street cred' (honors or not) in the world of sales, banks, cubicles and so forth. Just that kind of upset.

Last night we went on a double date to Red Robin (we requested it be cheapster for the obvious reasons stated above). We had 2 tons of fun and the most wonderful waitress. She was constantly running around from booth to booth filling water and taking orders all with a pretty smile on her face. 

Also she was completely pregnant. I don't know many women who work straight through their pregnancy, let alone waitressing. I always picture pregnant people resting, knitting, or at least working in an office before taking baby leave. I thought how tired she must be, how swollen her feet are, how darn'd hot she must feel in here. Next we saw her husband and toddler waiting for her at another table... family of 3 with one more on the way. I was humbled. Now you might argue bad family planning but they were definitely in the world-accepted mommy daddy age range.

She just wasn't above working... anywhere.

My grandpa tells me there is always work for people who want to work.  It might not seem like it here but I'll find it. I have nothing to complain about. I have a small family of two, we are healthy, we saved just for this occasion, we'll find a job and a solution. I am so happy for all that I have learned and for the path I have taken. I wouldn't go back for one minute to change my course of study or make myself something convenient for the here and now of the job search. It's gonna work out. 

I know we're here for many reasons. Some reasons are obvious. Phil is continuing his fantastic education, we are finding so much joy just being together, we are strengthening our partnership, we are establishing our family. Other reasons I will come to understand day by day. We feel passionately confident about the decisions we've made so far and know that everything will find its' own way. 

In the meantime I learned a big lesson from our gestating waitress.

The A.P.T. a work in progress

Crates Barrels and Boxes

Moving in was absolute chaos. Lots of boxes, Styrofoam, tissue and tape. There were some moments at which I considered thrusting myself head first into the pile of packing-refuse and calling it a day. It's amazing how such a tidy looking stack of cardboard can upon opening become a bubble wrap and zip tie explosion. Lucky for us we had many helping hands (shout outs to mother-in-law Pam, Sis-in-law Cam, friendly neighbor in #108, and the Brian Vb and Jennica collective). Everything is now in it's rightful place (or pile, we're getting there!) and although we have not put up any curtains, hung any pictures, or covered any eyesores, I thought I'd give you the sneaky peak.

Also many many thanks for the wonderful hub, who picked us out a lovely apt just right for our needs. 

Here's the family room, desk area, and kitchen table. Our kitchen and b-room were not ready for their close-ups... Mr. DeMille (reference joke).

Little welcome nook

Another little vignette

the craigslist couch, our first bargain hunting couple experience. Not to be our last.

Kitchen table I refinished and covered 4 days before 

the move with helping hands from Momma OC.

Bathroom. My shout out to femininity. Also features 

sparkly shower hooks and a fluffy white rug.

Desk area. Think manly meets maps.

So we moved to Utah...

We hit the desert road...

It took about a majillion miles and many many snacks. Nevada is bleak (no offense or anything Nevadans but signs of life were very few and usually made of twigs and rock) Tahoe is GLORIOUS. real purple mountains of majesty stretching to the big blue sky...annnnnd driving behind a u-haul dragging husband averages 60 miles per hour... max. 

Other thoughts the drive inspired include but are not limited to (there are many thoughts on 15 hour drives) salt flats are fascinating, I really do like blue grass music, almonds are filling and delectable, I wonder if the new U-hauls really are more aerodynamic (an ad on the back of PG's haul that as I became more car-fevered melted into "more adirondack") and sand devils are still magical to see.

We're getting settled into the GreenApt. (complete with green carpet! I'm goofy with irony.) and I've been stressing/applying for any and every job under the sun hoping to make a penny for my wages, cooking and domesticatin' (very proud of my parsley and garlic fried chicken success), and decorating our home space (pictures coming very soon... ie tomorrow). Phil started school and is loving his classes from which he imparts to me knowledge so that my graduated mind can stay fit and happy. I'm going to go eat ice cream right now (Please if you buy anything at the grocery store buy the Reese's chocolate peanut butter syrup) but in the mini-mall spirit of the midwest (they have everything in those stores!) I thought I'd leave you with this incredibly breathtaking gem of a website. It. will. make. you. belly. laugh.

peopleofwalmart.com