Tuesday, December 29, 2009

There was light at the end of the tunnel after all...


...All of my books and just a taste of my weekly tasks...



This Fall semester has been the most difficult semester of my college career. 5 classes and working 3 days a week was a lot harder than I thought it would be. The to do lists were insane. There were weeks where I would not only complete writing assignments and discussion board posts, but I would also read up to 15 chapters from my 8 text books. Although it was difficult it was a great learning experience for me. I learned how to manage my time wisely and I really learned a lot. I worked really hard to read everything that was assigned so that I could really expand my knowledge, not just cross the class off of my list. I really took a lot of useful information from this semester. I am excited for Spring because I am taking my last Sociology class and also starting my minor - Health Science. I can't believe I am so close to the end. Just two semesters and a summer class and I will be a college grad.
Oh and did I mention that I really enjoy getting good grades? I am one of those annoying people who is unhappy when I get a B. So with 5 classes I figured that I would not get all A's and I came to grips with the fact that there would be some B's on my report card this semester. I had to mentally prep myself to not get upset if I got a couple B's (stupid... I know). But to my utter surprise I made the impossible, possible. . . I got straight A's! It was rough and I seriously do NOT know how I did it. I am grateful for Tyler for being supportive even when his wife was in the world of sociology for a few months straight. I am grateful for answers to prayers as there were an abundance sent up. I just know that I was blessed to achieve what I did. Thanks to everyone for supporting me, encouraging me and putting up with me.

As a treat to myself I went here...


On Christmas Eve I got a massage and a facial. It was amazing. I got to sit in the spa, put cucumber slices on my face and finally relax after months of worrying about school. It was a great way to start the weekend. I highly recommend it.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Product of long hours of studying...

So this semester was by far my most rigorous semester thus far. Taking 5 upper division classes and working is not as easy as I thought, but I learned a lot about my abilities over the last few months. I have really had to manage my time wisely so that I could get in all of my readings, tests, quizzes, projects and papers. I think my favorite class this semester was my writing class. The professor really taught us how to bring ourselves into our writing and really write with a purpose. I was able to really think about emotion, inspiration and social issues that I was concerned with. I wanted to share with you my final project for the semester. We were allowed to choose our method: a speech, letter, essay or poem. It was inspired, by my sister in law Jessica and her Husband Mike, to write this letter. I hope you like it.

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To the dear young ladies with a choice to make,

I’m sure that you have a lot on your mind right now. Being a teenager and being pregnant is something that many people do not understand. I bet there are judging eyes all round you waiting for you to do something, waiting for you to choose what the rest of your life will be like. You are lucky to have a choice. I know that you don’t know me and although we have never met I might know a little bit about your story. Some of you probably thought that you were in love. You thought that he was the kind of boy who would stick with you through the hard times, but then when things got tough he was no where to be found. Or maybe some of you were not looking for anything serious when you decided to sleep with someone, but what resulted was anything but casual.

Having a baby is serious. It is something that moms and aunts do, not something that you do, at least not right now. Being a mom is something that you were probably not planning on doing until you graduated high school and went to college. Maybe you never wanted to be a mother. Maybe you want to travel the world and study the cultures of the past. Maybe you want to be an airline pilot or an astronaut. I am writing this letter to tell you that all of those dreams can still come true, just maybe not as soon as you may have hoped. Being young in society today can be tough. The media tells us girls that we need to look, act, dress and talk a certain way. I know that life is hard sometimes, but don’t ever be afraid to be you. Sometimes being confident is difficult when we make mistakes or when we don’t fit the mold, but we need to love ourselves. I am guilty of sometimes falling into the trap that the media sets. It isn’t always easy to overcome hardships, but it can be done and we need to be there for each other.

Even though you are in this situation that seems so dark and confusing I would like to make a suggestion of how you can change the lives of others because of your seemingly bad choice. You may be wondering how something so terrible can become something happy. How could this get any better? How could I help anyone else when I am in this mess? I would like to tell you a story about a girl, a girl named Jane. She grew up with a dream that is not very different from yours. She didn’t want to be an astronaut, a traveler or an actress. What she wanted was easy to figure out, it was something she knew she always wanted. She wanted to be a mother.

When she was in college she married a nice man named Andrew. They were in love and they wanted to have a family. They always wanted to be parents. Andrew always knew he wanted to be a dad. He and Jane were so excited to have children and to finally be able to expand their couple into a few more. So they tried and tried to have a baby. Years passed and tests were done and there was no progress. It was official; Jane and Andrew could not have children on their own. For some reason their bodies could not produce something that they both wanted more than anything in the whole world. They were discouraged, but they didn’t let this obstacle defeat them. There were times when Jane saw other parents with their children and wondered what she had done wrong. Would she ever be a mother? She wanted so much to have a child to love and teach. She wanted to hear someone say, “I love you mommy”, but she often wondered if her ears would ever hear those words.

Jane and Andrew eventually decided that they would try to adopt. Although the process was long and often heart breaking as young mothers changed their minds, they continued to seek a young girl like you, who wanted to give them a baby. After many tears, sleepless nights and wondering, the day eventually came that Jane and Andrew became parents. There was a girl who much like you, had become pregnant before she was ready to be a mother. She wanted Jane and Andrew to adopt her son. When Jane and Andrew finally held that sweet baby boy in their arms they knew that he was their son. Jane and Andrew had true gratitude in their hearts because of the trust that young mother had in them. She knew that they could give him a life that she wasn’t ready to give. Jane and Andrew knew that although they had not chosen the path that they traveled on, they were able to arrive at a destination that they always wanted.

Just a few years later Jane and Andrew had a desire to adopt once again. The process was slow, but eventually they were able to be foster parents to two brothers that came from a home with a history of drugs, abuse and unwise choices. They took care of them, loved them and changed their lives with the hope that one day the boys would be official members of their family. It was not until two years later that Jane and Andrew were able to legally adopt the brothers. I was there that day and the love of their family seemed to visibly grow. You could just tell that they were meant to be a family. You could tell that these two brothers were meant to have a better life than what their biological mother had. Their biological mother came from a family of high school dropouts, teen pregnancy and drug abuse. With Jane and Andrew as their parents these boys have a better chance of graduating high school, going off to college and living a life free from drugs. You see, I am the aunt to these three boys and I am forever grateful, as I know my other family members are, for the opportunity that I have to know and love these boys. They are wonderful and luckily Jane and Andrew were trusted enough to take the boys into their home and care for them. Not only have they cared for them but also, they have loved them and provided so many opportunities for them.

I know it might be scary to think of someone else taking care of your baby. What if they hurt them or don’t give them a good healthy life? I want you to know that you don’t have to be scared because you can choose the couple that you want for your child. But it is up to you to make that choice. Will you make the selfless choice and give your baby better chances of succeeding? Will you bring hope and love to the lives of a mother or a father without a baby? There are mothers and fathers out there that are waiting for a baby and for some reason they can’t make it happen for themselves. That is where you come in. You can change someone’s life! You can give the gift that no one else can give. You can give the gift of life, the gift of a child. I hope this letter got you to think about an option that is often forgotten amidst the anxiety and confusion that comes along with teen pregnancy. There are hundreds of men and women out there who are waiting to be parents and you can help them. Please tell others you know about the gift of adoption. Please consider adoption as an opportunity to change not only your life, but also someone else’s.

Sincerely,

Amy Rex

Christmas Cheer!

Here are some photos of our Christmas tree adventure. Lauren and Jessica came over for dinner and to help us... luckily they provided much comedy as usual.







And now our apartment is officially Christmased. I love it!

The finished product...





Christmas at Disneyland!

I started out the season by visiting one of my favorite places! My good friend Lauren and I went to Disneyland and got to see the fireworks show and the pretty snow. I loved it. I just walked around with a huge grin all night. There was Christmas music playing and lights everywhere. It was just what I needed amidst all of the studying and running around. It was such a good time. Then Tyler and I went again last thursday and it was really great. We stood in the middle of Main Street so we could see the whole castle and fireworks show. It was so wonderful. I really love this time of year and I am so glad that Disneyland does such a great job of bringing the true spirit of Christmas to so many people.






Thanksgiving

As usual we party hopped on Thanksgiving and ate waaaay to much. But it was wonderful! We woke up and Tyler played volleyball with a bunch of friends and I went on a hike with my dad and my sister danielle. It was a beautiful day! We ate our first meal at my parents house and then headed off to Manhattan Beach to meet up with the Bradys. When we got there people were just about done eating and I am pretty sure there was still like 3 turkeys worth of meat left over. It was crazy. There was way too much food. But I of course had to taste test and it was delicious. What a yummy day!

The Brady Dinner in Manhattan Beach






The Pitts Dinner





The Peterson Family

In november I had the opportunity to take family photos for a family in our ward. They are pretty amazing people and I am really grateful that they wanted to have me take their photos. They are a really cute trio and I am really happy with how all of the photos turned out. Thanks guys! You are a pretty cute family!










Halloween

I know I know... I am super late in posting, but better late than never right? This is a picture of Tyler and I at our ward Halloween party. I wont even try to tell you how many people came up to me thinking I was really pregnant. It was weird due to the fact that I see most of them every week at church... I guess people just don't pay very much attention to me. haha. Anyway... we are Juno and Paulie Bleaker if you can't tell. I loved it. I thought it was so fun walking around with that big belly. Plus, juno is hilarious so I was spouting off lines randomly throughout the night. Notice the orange tic tacs and the bottle of sunny d. We went all out.

The Steelwells Show

Tyler's cousin Joey and my cousin Robbie are in a band together and they had their CD release party at the House of Blues in Anaheim at the end of October. They rocked the house. It was so much fun to see them up on stage with all the lights and screaming fans. It was a great night for them. I am really happy for them and how far they have come. They are really talented.





Ducks in Tux

So I know this post is long overdue. I think we went to this event back in November but it was really fun. Every year they have a charity dinner with a silent and live auction for the Anaheim Ducks Foundation. This year it was at the Hilton in Anaheim and it was wonderful. Really good food, hockey players from our favorite team and our family. I even got to wear a pretty dress and curl my hair. It was a blast. Thanks to Dad for being a sponsor!

Watch this hilarious video!

I was bored and this is funny. You should watch it and then do one yourself. It is awesome! Merry Christmas!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Breathe In

It is 1 AM and I am wandering the house wearing Tyler's thermal. Tyler is on an overnight camp out with his cousin and I am here in the apartment wondering if I am going to be able to go to bed. I was really excited for tonight. I have known about it for a while now and I was totally pumped to have the apartment to myself. I was going to relax. Eat food that Tyler doesn't care for. Watch movies that Tyler doesn't like. Sleep in the middle of the bed. I ended up doing a few of those things and also cleaning and doing the laundry. It has actually been a really productive night... I even got in some errands and a work out. I feel good. Except I can't remember if there has ever been a night when I have had to sleep without Tyler. I thought I would like the independence, but it turns out that I have become accustomed to snuggling before bed and goodnight kisses. Funny how things change without your knowledge. While I was standing in the closet I took a deep breath of the thermal that I am wearing. Then a thought struck me. It smells like him. What would happen if the only thing I had left of Tyler was the memories, photos and the smell of his thermal. What happens when that comforting and familiar scent fades? I am really lucky. I think sometimes gratitude hits you at the most peculiar times. Maybe its the silence, the apartment, the hour, or the thermal that is bringing out these thoughts, but just think for a second. What if what you hold dear was torn away from you? It happens all the time to really good people. Really wonderful people suffer loss all the time. What would you do? How would you get from one day to the next? I don't think there is any correct answer, but I know that I am blessed because of a man named Tyler. I need to hold on to each day like my life depended on it. Mostly I just hope that when I lose someone I love I will be able to hold tight to my memories and remember every laugh, hug, kiss, smile, conversation, glance, touch and every single moment. Because eventually the scent will fade and you can no longer breathe them in simply by standing in their clothing wondering what to do next. So hold on tight.

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Ducks Game and Skating

Tonight was an extra special Ducks game. Not only did we play really well and win... We also got the opportunity to stay after the game and ice skate. Tyler was the only one who really wanted to skate so my dad and I just walked out onto the ice to get some pictures. If you notice in the picture of my dad is the CenSource logo on the scoreboard. Pretty special to know that my dads hard work all these years has resulted in him being able to be a sponsor for the Ducks. I am glad that his dad taught him the importance of hard work and introduced him to the signage industry. I am very grateful for both my dad and my grandfather for working so hard. It is their hard work that has provided me with so many special life experiences.