.so happy

I am so glad it's summer.
I remember pretty vividly the way I felt by the end of this last winter.
Can I just tell you, this was probably the L.O.N.G.E.S.T. winter of my life. I couldn't wait to just go outside and bask in the warmth of the sun and walk on some green grass. I kept looking at summery pictures (like this one of my nephews camping) just longing to be there again! haha, I'm sure it didn't make it any better that I was living in a basement apartment with teeny little windows!!

On Saturday we really got to enjoy our summer in Edmonton. Air's little bro Josh is here staying with us for the week and we've had a lot of fun hanging out! We took him to our ward party to show him off to all the teenage girls. haha They loved him.

A family in our ward brought their pet chameleon to the picnic... it was pretty sweet. I loved it.

Air thought it might improve his creepy factor..... I think it may have made it even worse. Nice try hun. haha

Here's some pictures of the lovely flowers I planted in my gardenia!
Thank goodness Air's done teaching seminary for the summer.
This is him with his class on the last day! Jumping for joy no doubt! Although, all of the kids always tell him that they really miss his class during summer break... :)



One more thing. My sister Gwen birthed baby Ian Wade Ruebush friday night at 8:15pm. This makes 23 niecephews for us!! Looks like he's a real cutie!! Definitely got that Ruebush nose!

.Wanting to play again

I love to play the piano.

That's not to say I'm really good at it or anything. I took lessons when I was young and hated it then. I really wish I would have paid more attention. I just remember laying limp like a rag doll on the piano bench whining about it whenever I was supposed to practice. My poor mother. And poor Darla Anderson who tried to teach me.
I think I had zero ambition as a kid, but that's a whole other story.

Anyway, since I've been living here I haven't seen the light of a piano for months!! And it is really bringing me down. I need to practice again! I was just getting kinda good too (at least I think I was?) I don't want to buy some crappy little electric keyboard that sounds nothing like the lovely sound of the strings and acoustics of the real thing, although that's probably all we could fit in our apartment at present....

This piano is awesome.
I would actually like it in red, but I know that Air would probably just die if I tried. haha

I can promise you this: My kids are going to play the piano. And they better like it.

Ok ok, I'm not going to be that strict... but I definitely absolutely positively am going to try to teach my kids to enjoy playing the piano. I think that hearing my children play beautifully will bring me a lot of joy someday. And I look forward to that.

If only my grandma could still be around teaching piano lessons then.... hmmm.... that would be awesome.

.Application Status: ADMITTED

Great news for us today! Air's application to the Bachelor of Arts program with a major in Psychology at the University of Alberta was
ACCEPTED

We can finally start making our plans for this Fall. Sheesh, they take FOREVER to make decisions! (ok, I'm not really one to speak here)
He has already been going to school at the U of A for a semester, but just as a part-time student. It's a great school and has a very convenient commute since the LRT train goes straight from here to there.

I know he loves the ride because he took some cool pictures this winter going over the river to the school.


Congrats hunny! You're gonna do awesome and I sure love ya!

.My husband, the speed walker

Did you know that speed walking or "race walking" is an Olympic sport? ...Well, it is.

And it's funny.

Air just happens to be a pro at it.

Look at that boy go!!

.10 monther

Air and I have been married 10 months today! And we STILL love each other! Phew!

Here's a candid picture I took of Air turning into his Dad (hahaha):
We've been enjoying our weekly walks lately. I really can't express how happy I am that winter is OVER!
Edmonton is a beautiful city in the summer! I love it here...

This weekend we went down to visit Air's parents and had a nice relaxing time with all of them. The weather down there was..... not so nice! We spent most of our time indoors watching movies and hanging out.
Here's a play-by-play of a hilarious situation that occurred while we were there (which I said I wouldn't blog about but can't help myself!):

I'm in the bathroom about to get into the shower at about 11:45pm (naked).
Air's sister Tamera knocks on the bathroom door: "Can I get my toothbrush!?"
Me: "Um.. I'm about to get in the shower. Is it just in the drawer? I can hand it to you".
Tam: "Just let me in! Wrap a towel around you!"
Me: "Uh.. ok".
Tam walks in half awake and grabs her toothbrush and says in an annoyed tone: "You're just gonna have to wait while I brush my teeth."
Me standing there in a towel holding the door open behind her: "Ok... that's fine".
Tam (brushing her teeth): "Why are you awake this late anyway?!"
Me: "Hmm... You think I'm Tessa, don't you?"
Tam's eyes go wide open as she looks up at me in the mirror horrified: "OH MY GOSH!! I'M SO SORRY AMBER!! YOU SOUNDED EXACTLY LIKE TESSA!"
Me: "That's ok, I talk to my sister like that too."
Then we laughed like crazy and Air's parents heard the whole thing from their bedroom and laughed too. Poor Tam was pretty embarrassed.

Isn't it funny how big of a difference there is with the way we'll talk to different people? Once you live with someone for a while (especially family) that politeness just completely dissipates until you're talking to them like you would talk to yourself.
I do the same thing with the in-laws in my family. For some reason we all need to be very polite with each other all the time. Maybe I worry that they'll think I'm mean or that I don't like them or something? With my siblings I know that we still *have to* love each other even if we talk to each other with no respect. haha!
Buuuuuut, I have to be honest - It was kinda nice to have someone talk to me like a real sister in Air's family! I don't think I require as much politeness as they may think. ;)

.I'm in the gaaaaaaarden

Since Air's Dad works for the church as a facilities manager he let me come plant some flowers at the Edmonton Temple on Monday. It was such a fun day!
There were some cool people there! That's the temple Pres and his wife watching us work, Air's cousin Maria Elena, and my auntie-in-law Tracey

This is Air's aunt Merlene (her and her hubby are the gardening experts)

Isn't the temple BEAUTIFUL!!

This spring I decided to start up my first garden in our back yard since I knew that there were some garden boxes buried in the mess back there somewhere. I asked my visiting teachers if they wanted to come work on it with me last week and, being the awesome people that they are, they did! :)

Before shots:

We had a blast beating the tar out of this horrifying scene.

And here it is! All ready to be planted!

We decided that the best thing about all of this was seeing the before and after. It sure feels good to make something that was so ugly look nice again! Thanks girls!