Audrey's Happy Place

Today as we were all making our way to our apartment through the rain after church, Audrey was singing I am a Child of God. She is really great at remembering the lyrics to the songs we teach her, and sometimes she even changes phrases to things she likes even better. For example: " . . . lead me, guide me, jumping oooon the couch . . . "

Apparently her heaven includes some of her favorite activities, one of which is jumping on the couch (which we won't let her do in his life). She may just be trying to send us some sort of subliminal message . . .

Lots of Tags

1- where did you meet your husband?

I met him in my livingroom in my apartment at BYU-Idaho right before my sophomore year. He'd come over in pursuit of my roommate. Neither of us were very impressed with each other. In fact, we were both a little bugged with each other--we had both made plans with said roommate, so I thought he should probably just run along home and find a wife elsewhere, and he thought I should just chill out and go get a date or something (these things were never actually spoken, but I'm sure they were thought). I remember just glancing at him, not really looking at him. It took about 20 minutes before we actually noticed each other and started talking. We both realized that we were somewhat skilled at flirting. Our common ground was that I had taken a class from his dad. I thought he was hilarious, and he thought I was totally cute. We four (he and I, said roommate and his wingman) sat in the park for a few hours just talking and laughing and having a good ol' time. Those few hours sealed our fate.

2- what was the first thing you said to your husband?

"Hi. Nice to meet you." (probably accompanied with a dirty look of some kind)

3- where was your first date?

Well, we hung out as friends long before we were officially dating. In fact, I'm not sure if we had an official "date"--nor do I remember what it could have been if we'd had one. I do remember we all (us with our new-found mutual friends) went swimming in the river on our first "outing." Super fun.
Oh! No wait! I remember now. We went with Edgar and his date to Elaine's parents' (her dad delivered Audrey; the cooooolest family) house to play games and do karaoke with her and her husband (Elaine was Dave's girlfriend all through high school, so it could have been really awkward, but in all actuality, I love her, and we're really good friends).

4- where was your first kiss?

On the porch swing in the neighbor's yard. He stole one. I'd just finished telling him I wasn't ready for a relationship, and he said ok. Then kissed me. He was very smooth, but sneaky.

5- How long did you date for?

We hung out as friends for about a month. We dated off and on for the next 6 months, plus a month engagment.

6- where did you get engaged?

We were broken up, but he had finally decided that he did want to end up with me. There was no official proposal yet, and we weren't sure when we were going to get married. He and I went to see his sister audition for a summer stock theatre group, and our friends encouraged us to audtition too, just for the heck of it. We didn't have jobs lined up for the summer yet, so doing summer stock wouldn't be such a bad idea. We decided that if we both made it, we'd get married, because we'd just be up in the mountains with a small group of people; and you have to have room for a summer romance or be attached, or the summer was going to be lame and awkward. Soooo, we both made it, and we decieded to get married before we started working that coming May. We of course didn't base our whole choice to get married on this, but it did help decide when at least.

Anyway, we went and picked out rings sometime in April (Again. We'd alreay done this whole lets-buy-a-ring-and-get-married thing in January, preceeding our biggest breakup.), and a few weeks after that we went to go pick them up from the jeweler. I knew he had the ring with him, and he had every intention of doing a real official proposal later, but on the way home I wanted to stop at the Idaho Falls temple just for the heck of it. It was dark and lit up so pretty and I just wanted to see it because we hadn't been by in a long time; and besides, we had time to kill and no plans for the rest of the evening. I didn't think he'd propose because he didn't take the ring box with him when we got out of the car (so I'd thought), and it was very casual. We'd just been talking about how I couldn't see the ring yet until he proposed (him saying this as we were walking around the temple). Well, little did I know, he made a split second decision as we got out of the car and so slyly slipped the ring into his pocket and two candy hearts into the ring box.

Now these candy hearts are significant because he'd given them to me several months before. One said "I'm ready" and the other one said . . . I can't remember . . . probably "I Love You" or something. Well, when we broke up that last big time in January, I had happened to have them in my hand, and I of course very dramatically gave them back (as you can imagaine, our relationship always had plenty of drama). I thought he'd just thrown them away or something. And I know he hadn't just kept them in the car because we were driving my car when we went to the temple. They could have been in his pocket or something--which would have meant some sort of foresight on his part . . . Anyway, we were sitting at the temple, and I asked him if I could see the ring, pleeeease. And he said ok fine, but we'll do this for real later. So he gave me the ring box (which I thought he'd left in the car, and which should have tipped me off, but didn't) and in it were the two hearts. That took a while to sink in. Then he got down on one knee . . . and made it official. It was quite smooth and impressive. Oh yes, and somewhere in there he gave a little speech about forever and blah blah blah. He always knows what to say to melt my heart (and I'm not being sarcastic). :)

7- how did the reception go?

Our reception was in Missouri, and my mom had done basically all the planning. It was fantastic. We had it before the wedding, so technically it was an "open house." It was very casual. No lines, we just walked around and greeted our guests while they mingled and ate. The food was to die for, very classy. Our colors were navy and light yellow--now that I think about it, those are weird wedding colors, but it looked really nice. I sang him a song, and it was sickeningly sweet for everyone watching, I'm sure. Most of the night my veil was giving me trouble, but other than that, it was a killer party.


20 years ago... 1988

I was 4 years old and cute as can be. We lived in Missouri. Life was good. I spent summers playing outside constantly, visiting the grandparents. I'd decided I wanted to be a singer when I grew up. Or at least be a part of the Main Street Oprey.

10 years ago... 1998

Ugh. I was 14. We lived in Tipton, Missouri. I was a shy kid, who only really came out of her shell in choir. Dork. But at least I had friends and something I was good at. I survived.

5 years ago... 2003

I was in my prime, livin large at BYU-I. I had great roommates. I was cute and social. I was doing good in school. Having a great time. Then I met a boy . . .

3 years ago... 2005

Dave and I were still newlyweds and going to school. Both English majors. We went to the married student ward, which was great. We had a cute apartment in Rexburg, which I miss. We collected couches for a while (I'll save that story for another time).

1 year ago...2007

We were in Ithaca, having just spent the summer in Missouri. Audrey was a little over a year old. My Grandpa Groll died. I wrote his elegy and mourned with the entire family. It was very sad.

So far this year... 2008

Tons! Audrey turned two. We had Janey. We lived in Texas, and Dave got an offer (so we now know our path in life a little better). We saw our families, which was so fun. Audrey got hurt a lot (which she's healed from nicely). We've made a lot of new friends! On a sadder note, my Grandpa Hunter died (just a few days ago).

Yesterday... September 23, 2008

Audrey had preschool. There was a funeral for the mom of a little boy in the older class at Audrey's preschool. David took care of Audrey for the night so I could go to bed early because I was grumpy. We made baby girl hair things for Enrichment.

Today... September 24, 2008

Jenny and Conrad played with us this morning. Dave left for school. Jane had a blow-out that reached up to the tag in the back of her sleeper. Gross! Audrey threw a big fit when I put her down for a nap and is still upstairs playing and not napping . . . not sure what else is going to happen today!

Tomorrow... September 25, 2008

Audrey has preschool again. I have to get things done!!

Next year...2009

Dave graduates and starts working. Audrey will turn 3 and Jane a year! We're going to Puerto Vallarta in January. We'll be moving away from Ithaca. :( I'll probably get pregnant, although I can't think about that right now! Who knows what else will happen!

A- ATTACHED OR SINGLE: attached. very.

B- BEST FRIEND: I have lots. David, Bryce, Melissa, Maurissa, Brian, Crystal, Melanie, Lindsay, Jenny, Cara, Jamie, Reub, Sarah, Edgar, Jill, Jeremy, Elaine, Rocky, Annie, Angie, Chris, Kelli, Kristi, Shannah, Melanie, Dana, and a billion other best friends whom I love and miss. I define best friend as someone I can confide in, who I know cares about me, who I'm comfortable with, and who I'd do anything for. I'm exceptionally blessed to have such a huge list of close friends.

C- CAKE OR PIE: Cake, usually chocolate with cream cheese frosting. Maybe carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. Maybe it's just the cream cheese frosting I like . . .

D- DAY OF CHOICE: Any day that's a good day. One in which Dave is home. Preferably one where we're doing something fun . . .

E- ESSENTIAL ITEM: Toothbrush. Benedryl.

F- FAVORITE COLOR: Green. But I also like teal and blue and purple and red . . .

G- GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT: Having babies and doing a pretty good job at it. Graduating from college.

H- HOMETOWN: Tipton, Missouri; although we moved around a lot when I was a kid, so I have lots of important life memories in other places.

I- INDULGENCES: Brownies. Manicures. Pedicures. Shopping. Smoothies. New, fat magazines. New books. Quiet time to myself. Computer games. Long hot baths. My face brush. Purses. Girls nights. The list goes on and on. I really know how to spoil myself.

J- JANUARY OR JULY: Neither actually. I don't like heat or depressing weather. But if I'm being optimistic, both. January has snow and a fresh new year. July has all the fun summer activities and the 4th.

K- KIDS: Audrey Lynn Hunt, 4/24/06, 5 lbs 1 oz, red hair, brown eyes
Jane Elizabth Hunt 3/17/08, 6 lbs 5 oz, red hair, almost brown eyes

L- LIFE IS INCOMPLETE WITHOUT: David, Audrey, and Jane.

M- MARRIAGE DATE: May 6th, 2004. Idaho Fallas Temple.

N- NUMBER OF SIBLINGS: Aaron William Groll (21), Jessica Lynn (20), Jacob Lee (18)

O- ORANGES OR APPLES: Oranges are the best things ever.

P- PHOBIAS OR FEARS: Tons of stuff. In fact I had horrible, aweful satanic dreams last night! I hate that! I'm afraid of all the usual stuff: zombies, the dark, ghosts, etc. etc. I can't watch even the previews of scary movies. It's horrible. But I'm also very afraid of something happening to my family . . . or myself. Everything. I'm basically afraid of everything.

Q- QUOTES: "Do I contradict myself? Very well, then I contradict myself, I am large, I contain multitudes." Walt Whitman "Go to bed this instant or I shall have to summon a policeman, is that clear?" Mary Poppins "How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life, you will have been all of these." George Washington Carver "There are no trifles in the human story, no trifling leaves on the tree." "Life's greatest happiness is to be convinced we are loved." Victor Hugo, Les Miserables "I believe that there is one story in the world, and only one. . . . Humans are caught—in their lives, in their thoughts, in their hungers and ambitions, in their avarice and cruelty, and in their kindness and generosity too—in a net of good and evil. . . . There is no other story. A man, after he has brushed off the dust and chips of his life, will have left only the hard, clean questions: Was it good or was it evil? Have I done well—or ill?" John Steinbeck, East of Eden "All that lives is holy." John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath.

R- REASON TO SMILE: Audrey telling Janey not to pick her nose. "No picking, Janey."

S- SEASON: Fall. It's crisp and cool. Pretty to look at. Tons of fun things to do. Great holidays. Makes me feel cozy and happy inside. And the excitement of Christmas is just beginning. I love it. Except for my allergies. That is the bane of my existence.

T- TAG FIVE FRIENDS: I'll get back to this one.

U- UNKNOWN FACT ABOUT ME: I don't like mangos.

V- VERY FAVORITE STORE: I love looking around craft stores. I get so excited. And antique stores always have some exciting things (especially the books). Thrift stores are like a treasure hunt to me. I can spend hours and hours in a book store--the smell and feel of a fresh new book, the quiet rustling of new pages, the smell of coffee from the adjoining starbucks . . . heavenly.

W- WORST HABIT: I used to chew my nails until fairly recently. Disgusting habit. I treat David like a child. It's my very worst fault.

X- X-RAY OR ULTRASOUND: Weird. I'm changing this one to X- XPLAIN YOUR FAVORITE MEMORY: My favorite memory is actually a little vague. It's my "happy place." When I was a kid I'd spend summers on my grandparents' ranch in Missouri. It was in a beautiful valley, lots of fields and creeks and ponds and woods and barns . . . I remember just sitting in the tall grass, looking right over the top out across a flowing, golden field surrounded by lush green trees, feeling the breeze, listening to the sounds of a day in the country, not a care in the world. I instantly feel happy and peaceful when I think of that.

Y- YOUR FAVORITE FOOD: I love tomatoes, cheese, garlic, chocolate, oranges, huckleberry ice cream, lemon bars . . . most all really yummy things. FAVORITE MOVIES: The Sound of Music. Music Man. Mary Poppins. FAVORITE BOOKS: East of Eden, The Grapes of Wrath, The Harry Potter series, Les Miserables, The Count of Monte Cristo, A Wrinkle in Time series, Non-fiction books on the topics I'm really interested in

Z-YOUR ZODIAC SIGN: Gemini (as is Dave)--Gemini is a Mutable Air sign, ruled by Mercury. As the third sign in the zodiac, Gemini is an energetic, charismatic, communicative, witty individual with a child-like fascination with the world and with new experiences. Famous and historical characters sharing this sign include John F. Kennedy, (May 29), Marilyn Monroe (June 1), and Judy Garland (June 10). The Gemini personality stands out as the zodiac sign that knows something about just about everything, making them good conversationalists and interesting acquaintances. They are inquisitive and quick to digest new information and ideas. Intelligent and logical, but with a lot of nervous energy, Gemini likes to keep busy and expand their horizons whenever opportunities arise, often multitasking between several interests. However, as the sign of the Twins, there is a dual aspect to the Gemini personality, making it difficult for these individuals to stick with any one thing in order to master it, and often making it difficult for bystanders to figure out which side their Gemini friend is really on. Gemini has more than one personality, which can change in a flash, and those near to them would do well to learn them both. On and off, up and down, back and forth, black and white, day and night, ying and yang - this is the essence of the Gemini personality. (http://www.mysticalblaze.com/AstrologyGemini.htm)


WHAT IS HIS NAME? David Mitchell Hunt
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN MARRIED? 4 years this past May
HOW LONG DID YOU DATE? About 6 months
HOW OLD IS HE? 26
WHO EATS MORE? It's hard to say . . .
WHO SAID "I LOVE YOU" FIRST? Crystal
WHO SINGS BETTER? I sing. But Dave is pretty dang good.
WHO IS SMARTER? David. Hands down.
WHOSE TEMPER IS WORSE? Crystal

WHO DOES THE LAUNDRY? David
WHO DOES THE DISHES? Crystal
WHO SLEEPS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BED? It varies depending on where we live. Right now I do.
WHO PAYS THE BILLS? Crystal
WHO MOWS THE LAWN? When we get a lawn . . . neither of us will mow it. But I know for sure it won't be me. Ever. I ran over a patch of baby bunnies once and now I'm too traumatized to do it.
WHO COOKS DINNER? Crystal
WHO DRIVES WHEN YOU ARE TOGETHER? David, unless I'm dropping him off somewhere.
WHO IS MORE STUBBORN? Crystal
WHO IS THE FIRST TO ADMIT WHEN THEY ARE WRONG? David
WHOSE PARENTS DO YOU SEE THE MOST? Hmm . . . when we were first married, Dave's. Now, it might be mine we see the most.
WHO HAS MORE FRIENDS? We both have a ton of friends.
WHO HAS MORE SIBLINGS? David has 9 siblings.
WHO WEARS THE PANTS? Dave. I'm just bossy.

Tag!! I tag all my friends who read this and who want to share. I love reading them.

First Day of Preschool (sorta)

Her teachers (Cathy, first on the left facing the camera; Rebecca, in the middle, standing; Faith, sitting down, back to the camera) are all great so far!

She thinks she's in nursery, so it's definately no big deal to her. I, on the other hand, was a little nervous for that hour and a half. Tomorrow if her first official full day. :S

The Syracuse Zoo

To go along with our recent "learning about animals" theme, I decided it would be a great idea to take the girls to the zoo. It was pretty crazy, but ultimately, I think Audrey had a pretty good time. She loved the elephants, goats, ponies, lions, and monkeys (as we all do). (Definitely the elephants best, though. She was very excited about tigers, but the real one was so hard to see that she pretty much missed it. Oh well. She seemed to think this fake one was pretty real. It's a pretty decent zoo, but the penguin display made me so sad, and I was reminded why I generally don't like zoos.

Sisters

What cute girls. I love them so much. :)

Tagged: 3s and 8s

3 Joys:

1. David's jokes
2. Audrey's songs
3. Jane's smile

3 Fears:

1. the dark
2. something horrible happening to my babies
3. zombies, ghosts, serial killers, rapists, snakes

3 Obsessions:

1. books
2. music
3. whatever I happen to be obsessed with at the moment . . . right now I think it might be "self-renewal," interior design, scrapbooking, photography, getting into shape, or getting Audrey to take a nap . . .

3 Surprising Facts:

1. I don't like fig newtons.
2. I have allergies.
3. I love hockey, pool, and poker.

8 Things I'm Passionate About:

1. Having good, happy, healthy, smart children
2. Having a strong and healthy relationship with my husband
3. My religion
4. My favorite books
5. My favorite music
6. Education
7. Genuinely caring for and loving the people you call neighbors, friends, and family
8. Loyalty and hard work

8 Words or Phrases I Say Often:

1. Do you need a time out?
2. Is it time for a nap?
3. I said no. And when Mommy says no, you need to listen.
4. I love you.
5. That would be so fun, huh? (I realized I say this a lot because I live with a two-year-old parrot.)
6. Dave, I need your help. I'm going crazy. ;)
7. Hi, Janey!
8. Audrey, stand up. No fits.

8 Things I Want to Do Before I Die:

1. Raise all my children to be good people
2. Serve a mission
3. Find the perfect place to call home
4. Establish the perfect daily system and live it; thrive with it.
5. See some really cool places
6. Create something amazing
7. Expand my comfort zone
8. Get really good at talking with and listening to people

8 Things I Pray For:

1. The safety of my family
2. Patience
3. Forgiveness
4. That certain people will feel the love of Christ, be strengthened, and overcome whatever it is they're burdened by
5. Dedication, motivation, and self-discipline
6. That I can accomplish everything I need to
7. Thanks for my family and all the things we've been blessed with
8. Good dreams

8 Things I've Learned:

1. That none of us knows nearly as much as we think we do
2. That Heavenly Father loves us
3. That being a mom is harder than anyone ever thinks
4. That being a mom is better than anything else
5. That I can love someone as much as I love my family
6. That you can never really understand a person utterly; we're all too complex; so we should just embrace people for all that they are and all they have the potential to become
7. That if you do nothing with your days, you'll be very unhappy
8. That we're not alone in this world, ever

8 People I Tag:

1. Tasheena
2. Caetie
3. Tracy
4. Jenny
5. Jill
6. Kelli
7. Jessica
8. Lexi