Yoohoo! We've moved!

Head on over to sethandameliafrischknecht.blogspot.com (gotta love that copy and paste function for times like these) where I've been blogging lately.

Also, if your blog requires me to sign in to read it, please send me an invite to amelia.frischknecht@gmail.com. This will save me the hassle of signing in and out and in and out of all my different gmail accounts. Thanks, you're a deer!

Hey, I'm married

Some answers to a few common questions I get asked these days:

"So, how are you liking married life?"

I am absolutely loving it. I am married to the most wonderful person in the whole wide world and every new day somehow always seems to be the best day of my life. I REALLY lucked out.

"What's the best part about being married?"

Being a family. Living together. Waking up to him.

"What do you do now that you're married?"

Pretty much the same things we did before we were married! We're both really busy. Seth works basically full-time in Salt Lake and is taking 6 credits. I'm taking 17 credits and working part time. We do homework together in the evenings. We go on dates on the weekends. We have scripture study and FHE and attend the temple weekly (okay, it's only been one week so far...). It seems pretty simple, but it is fun fun fun.

And of course: "Do you still sleep with Rego?"

Let me explain. I knew when I got married I wouldn't be able to sleep with a teddy bear anymore. Rego had come to accept this as well. And the first week I slept perfectly fine without him. Then one day, I went to have a little napsy between my classes. I was suuuper tired, but couldn't seem to fall asleep. Okay okay, just this once, I thought. I snuggled Rego up in my armpit and promptly fell asleep. And that was my downfall. The past two mornings, I've woken up with Rego in my arms and I KNOW I didn't fall asleep with him there. Seth says I've been calling for Rego in my sleep. So to answer the question, I don't sleep with Rego on purpose, he just crawls up onto my bed and into my arms every night... (I'll work on it, okay)

To sum up... I'm the happiest girl in all the land! Thanks for asking!

Memorial Day

What a wonderful holiday. One of my new favourites. It might go Christmas, Memorial Day, Valentine's Day now. I don't know, but I love it. I've heard that Memorial Day isn't typically celebrated in most places the way they celebrate it here in Utah. But let me tell you, Utah does it right! Wikipedia says Memorial Day is "a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces." Which is, ya know, great. But here in Utah Valley, Memorial Day is a day to remember ALL lost loved ones, and show your love for them by decorating their graves with beautiful flowers. I took a trip to Manti with Seth's family and visited the graves of his grand and great-grandparents. We arrived around noon and already the cemetery was covered with flowers of every kind and colour. With flags blowing in the breeze and the temple in the distance, it was easy to feel a connection to my brothers and sisters who lived before me.

doesn't do it justice...

In the afternoon, we went to the Provo Cemetery to find the grave of my great great great grandparents, Mary and William Chittenden. I was surprised to find two plants on their graves already. Not sure who would've left them there, but it's fun to think that someone else had just visited that same grave because it meant something to them as well.

William Chittenden

born July 29, 1808

died March 29, 1878.

Our father has gone

to a mansion of rest

to the glorious land

by the diety blest

Mary Dunster Chittenden

born December 26, 1818

in Limpne Kent, Eng.

died July 2, 1886.

Rest mother rest,

in quiet sleep,

while friends in sorrow

o'er thee weep

So Memorial Day in Utah is great, and I think everyone should adopt these customs. You know, when you normally drive by a cemetery, I don't think you really understand and appreciate that real people lay in those graves. I guess not people, but bodies. And even then... bodies! All the bodies that housed these spirits during their time in this life. I think it is such thought-provoking symbolism that a body, once its spirit has left, should take its place in the ground. Just become part of the earth. And it's especially nice that there is something to mark where they rest. That here, under this stone, lay the bodies of William and Mary. These bodies that began in England and ended up in America. These bodies that spent the majority of their existence together. With these bodies, they became parents. With these bodies, they learned and they grew and they filled their lives with whatever was important to them. With these bodies, their spirits could influence people. It was amazing to see flowers cover these entire cemeteries and realize just how real that influence is. These bodies have not been forgotten! I've always loved cemeteries, but I think that love has grown even further as I've discovered just what a grave really is. Heavenly Father promised us each a special gift when we came to earth. And so we came, and received bodies. A grave is where we place that precious gift when we leave this life. This all seems really obvious, but for whatever reason it has just kind of struck me lately. And now that I realize this, I think it makes better sense why I love spending time in cemeteries - because they are full of God's great gifts. I can think of few places more sacred. How nice that we should set aside a day to place flowers on graves that home the bodies who have in some way contributed to our lives. God probably created flowers with this purpose in mind. So we can say thank you, your life has meant something to me. In return I will make your grave beautiful.

So, that's how it happened, my love for Memorial Day.

lollipop lollipop

Today, I picked the purple wrapper thinking it would contain a grape sucker. Little did I know, there was actually a yellow banana sucker hidden inside! Let me tell you, I love grape suckers. But I LOVE banana suckers. Thank you, Wells Fargo! So glad I bank with you...

atm ... never again

My mother, a lady, both lovely and bright

I think the best subject material for my return to blogging would be my wonderful mom. Yesterday was the first time I haven't been home for Mother's Day. If I had been home, I probably would've gotten my mom something lame and last-minute like a picture of us on a mouse pad, or something Mary Englebreit that she already has. So, just be thankful I'm not there, Mom!

There is a lot to love about my mom. I love that my mom is so supportive. She supports us kids whole heartedly in every good thing we do. If the boys go to an NHL game, my mom will watch it. Not because she cares who wins, or even knows who is playing, but because there's a small chance she might see the boys on tv during the game. And then she can maybe contribute to the post-game conversations. Or she'll watch the MWC tournament, just so she can be excited with her Cougar fan kids. She's just really cool like that. I love how my mom smells right before she goes to bed. I miss that a lot. I love that my mom only laughs her real, hard laugh if something is really funny. For example, I don't know all the details, but there was something to do with Court's cake flying off her plate and my mom reaching out and catching it with her bare hand... she told us this story after, and laughed and laughed and laughed, and I could hardly focus on what she was saying because I was just swallowed up in watching and listening to her laugh. I love that my mom is honestly the most beautiful person I know. Like... on the outside. I mean, the inside too, but seriously just look at her:

I love that my mom is friends with punk kids. She just chats it up with whoever gets sent to the principal's office no mater their misdemeanor. I love that my mom left me a nice message about loving me and missing me, so that whenever I miss her or just want to hear her voice, I can replay it. I love that my mom knows how to be comfortable -- she couldn't live without her flannels and slippies, and she wears a bra like she wears her shoes (on when she leaves the house, off as soon as she gets back... tmi?...). I love that my mom let me stay home from school whenever I wanted. And I love that she let me leave home when I wanted to go (far away) to school. I love that my mom is the last person in the world who still sends e-cards. And I love that she hees and haws for like an hour about which is the right one to send. She is very thoughtful. I love that my mom is a wonderful Relief Society President and that she cares so much about everyone. I love that my mom loves the scriptures. She really studies them. When she has questions, she doesn't just put them on the shelf like I am sometimes too quick to do. She asks people and consults other literature and I'm sure she prays about it too, until she finds an answer that satisfies her. I love that my mom takes a blanket to the First Presidency Christmas Devotional. I love that my mom and I have so much in common. I love that every once in a while, my mom blasts the oldies. I love that because of her, I know every word to a lot of songs people my age have never heard of. I love that my mom can focus on something and become better in that area. I love that my mom knows how to persevere. I love that my mom is not only a wonderful example of what a mother should be, but she has also taught me about what a daughter should be. I don't know anyone who is a better daughter than my mom, and I hope to every day become more like her. Happy Mother's Day, mom. These are just a few of the reasons, but I sure do love you!

New Month's Resolution

One of my faults is that I am too easily persuaded. I have known this about myself for a long time now. I mean, sure, I can probably be stubborn too. But for the most part, in matters that thankfully aren't usually too serious, I will leisurely toss my opinion here or there depending on, well... nothing at all. In my Bioethics class, we have weekly discussions about certain ethical issues. I find that by the end of that hour-and-a-half, my mind has changed nearly a hundred times! It is exhausting! Someone will make an argument that I agree with, only to find I suddenly disagree with it after the next comment. Ohh, he's right.... wait.. no, no, he's a fool, but she is definitely right... and so on and so on and 50 more so ons! Usually I leave class feeling lost and confused about who I am and what I'm doing with my life. Okay, I guess I probably wouldn't go that far. But today I started thinking, is this really a bad thing? And I decided, yes, yes it is. So that's a bummer, and I guess I'll be working on it.

okay one more thing...

loooove these boys.