Farewell Friend

Last weekend my cat, Freckles, died. It is really sad because my dad accidentally hit him with the car in their driveway - it was really dark and the cat just darted out in front of him! My dad was really heart broken and so the missionaries, who live there, burried him for my parents. Freckles was 16 years old and such a good cat. He will really be missed!!! Goodbye old friend!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my mom's birthday! For those of you who don't know her, she is spectacular. She is the best mom and I love her dearly so I dedicate this post to her!!! Everyone that knows her wants to be her best friend and her best friends count themselves lucky! She is one in a million and I adore her! Here are the top ten things I lover about her:

1 - She's a dreamer - at fourty something she decided she wanted to publish her book. After months and months of dialogue with Covenant, she got published!! She is about to introduce her third novel to the reading world and I couldn't be more proud of her!

2 - She is passionate about everything she does. If it's seminary, then she reads and studies until the wee hours. If she is family vacation, she has loaded the car to the roof with games, food and rainy day supplies! She gives EVERYTHING 200%, no less!

3 - She loves us. I can't think of a time growing up where I didn't feel adored, treasured, and loved. She is the best at making you feel like a star.

4 - She's our religious pioneer! Her mother let the missionaries in fourty some years ago but it was my mom's faith and steadfastness that got us here! She loves the gospel and continues to teach us by example daily. She knows the scriptures so well that the people in them are real to her. I admire her so much and want to be like her in that way! She is faithful in every way!

5 - She's a musician - It's sickening how talented my mom is. On top of being a great writer, she is this amazing singer. I have SO many fond memories of her singing to us and instilling a love of music into each of us. I credit her for all my musical talent and am so grateful to her for spending money on lessons for me and making in seem so important to her. Even today, you can walk into her home and just hear her singing away!

6 - She is so funny! Whenever we get together we laugh so much! She finds humor in all that is around her and I think because of it, we grew up happy kids. Her laugh is so contagious and has become imprinted on my brain for all time.

7 - She finds joy in small things. My mom is one that sees the little miracles of life and is quick to be grateful. She is a very happy person and can just as excited about a cruise as she can about her grandchildren smiling.

8 - She's got grace. My mom is a class act and was blessed with social graces. She literally walks into a room and people want to be around her. She makes everyone feel good and important - it's a real gift.

9 - She loves my dad. This has been such an important thing to us as we get older. We learned how sacred marriage is by watching my parents love each other so beautifully! We joke that we hate to see them all lovey, but in fact, it would bother me if they weren't. She still calls him studly and refers to him as our daddy dumpling - pretty sweet!

10 - She never stops improving herself. I think that is the best lesson she can teach her adult children is that we never stop learning, we can always be better that what we are, and that there is great joy in the journey!

I love you mom! You are the finest person I know! What a blessing you are to so many people and how grateful we are for you!

I'M BAAAAAAAAAACKKKK!!

Hey there folks!! I got my new shiny phone yesterday but got the bad news that my contacts are irretrievable! Sooooo, I would love it if you could please email your numbers to me at amandakayelong@gmail.com! Man, have I missed having a cell phone! Task #1 - download tetris - CHECK! The tetris on my new phone is even cooler than my old one so ol' Mandy is back!

If some of you were wondering....

....why you haven't heard from me, it's because of this: My phone has been struggling for weeks now but on Thursday, it finally gave up the ghost - almost. The funny thing is, it still works. I can receive calls as long as I keep it on speaker. I just can't call out because I don't know anyone's number by heart! WHAT DID WE EVER DO BEFORE CELL PHONES!?!?! I feel so useless right now and almost a little handicapped. I am sad to admit that I am a certified phone-a-holic. Not only am I a, how do you say, chatty person, I had Tetris on there man!!! What will become of my tetris game? Tetris provided hours, and I mean, hours of entertainment. Ah well, maybe I can use that time to do more productive things like fold laundry!!! Feel free to call me but until Tuesday, I am out of commission!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day. I woke up this morning to my beautiful flowers from the other day and just felt so happy and blessed. This day isn't just one to recognize the romantic love in your life, but has given me a chance to reflect on all the people I love. I have the most amazing family. I love each one of my brothers so much and count them as some of the finest people I know. I have a beautiful and wise sister in law that I adore. She also bore the two sweetest little kids you'll ever meet. I love being their aunt and I think they like me a little too! I have another joining our family in May that is just a perfect fit! My parents are the best. They are the greatest teachers of love and I am so grateful for their wise lessons over the years. I am also blessed with in-laws, sister and brother in laws and a niece and a new little nephew. I can't imagine my life without any one of them. These are wonderful people who have enriched my life, whom I also love dearly. They all have welcomed me into their family and I feel blessed to be apart of their lives.

I also love my friends. I have been blessed with some of the best friends. I have my lifers, as I call them, who I have grown up with, shared every joy, tear, and laugh with. What a gift! I have met others along the way that I will cherish forever and am also so grateful for!

So, on this Valentine's Day, I want all those I love to know that I am thinking of you! I cherish each one of you so much. I am a lucky girl to know you!

Sweet Treat

Nick and I celebrated Valentine's day last night because he starts working nights. I told him to choose the restuarant and I was SO happy when he picked The Melting Pot. I love this place, it is so fun and so romantic! So we eat and talk and just have a really nice evening together. We never get each other big presents or anything on Valentine's day so I was thinking we would just go home and watch American Idol and then just chill. But we get home and Nick walks in the room with this:

He also had a bottle of sparkling cider and some glasses! I couldn't believe how sweet this was! What a way to top off an already wonderful night! I love you babe! I am grateful each day for a marriage that is filled with sweet surprises!!!

The nugget takes flight!

Today was our maiden voyage with the little nugget since all the breaking down. I am happy to announce that the little guy did great today and we are back to business as usually!! I am so grateful for all God's little miracles - and this car working is definetly one!!

Game Night

Nick and I realized it had been a long time since we had been over to see my parent's. So Sunday night we went over for some games and dinner. As always, it was really fun and a very good dinner topped off with fondue for dessert! YUMMY!! We introduced my parents to Phase 10, a Long family favorite! It was just a really great night spent together. We always laugh a lot when we get together and that is just as fun as the actual game. Nick ended up winning which I have gotten used to in our marriage. He always beats me at games - except for Scrabble! I will cling to my one Scrabble victory for the rest of our marriage!

And this is what Nick was creating while the rest of us were focusing on the game - now do you see why it's hard to lose to him? He was busy making art while I was strategizing! Next time I may need to focus more on the art!

Car Update

I wish I were writing to tell you that everything is peachy and the good ol' boy is back home but it is not so! What is SO frustrating though is that our mechanic, who we have used for years and really trust, drove it around and said, and I quote,"It's running perfectly fine." Though it seems that would be good news, it's not. It leaves us feeling a little insecure about the nug! So, after some discussion with Mark, the mechanic, he said to leave it there until Monday and he would try it out again and see if he got the same results. I don't know what to make of this. On the positive side, it's been nice having one car in that Nick and I have to drive each other to work which lends us time together in the mornings that we normally don't get. I have really enjoyed these moments of good conversation!

I've been tagged........again!

Okay, Shellie - like you don't already know all the weird things about me! I am supposed to list 7 random and/or weird things about myself and pass it along!

1 - As I am driving, I like to add up the numbers on the their license plates. If the total does not end in a five or zero, I can't look at it any more. It really bothers me and I have to ignore that the car exists - I am a freak!

2 - If I am at a resturant and I get something in my teeth, I pull out a piece of my hair and use it as floss. Am I sharing too much?!?! :-)

3 - I am a little obsessive/compulsive about our laundry. Everything has to be folded a certain way. For instance, the towels have to be folded in half and then they have to be tri-folded from there so that they fit all snug in our cabinet. My closet is organized first by category (dresses, blouses, sweaters, etc) then by color. All our socks have to have matches. If two laundry cycles go by and I haven't found the match, I toss the lonely loser! 4 - Now for random, I am allergic to olives. I found out I was allergic while in college. I got a pizza pocket from the cafeteria that had olives diced up in the sauce. My throat closed up and I had to go to the hospital.

5 - My name is Amanda Long and I am addicted to.................Coke Zero. I love the stuff - can't get enough of it! I have tried to stop drinking it so often since I heard that diet sodas are bad for you. Anyway, it's so delightful and refreshing and I just have to have it!

6. I had a kidney transplant at 24 years old. I know everyone knows this already but I am not as weird as I thought I was, I am running out of material :-) Maybe what some of you don't know is that because of this, I have three kidneys now. They don't take out your bad ones, they just add an additional. My mom was my donor and we are both doing great! Everyone should be an organ donor. It really does save lives, I am proof!

7. I used to write John Bytheway love letters. He is just this spindly religious/funny/motivational speaker that I grew up listening too. Anway, I would write him letters all the time and spray my perfume on it!

Well, that's that! I don't know who to tag - I think everyone I know has probably been tagged a lot so anyone who wants to take part, feel free! It's great to reflect on your oddities!!!

How we spent our weekend...

Well, if this picture is any indication of our weekend, then I guess I need not post any further!! Nick's car is down again! By again I mean, we just got it out of the shop 9 days ago. The poor little nugget. We are trying to make it last a few more months but I don't know if the little guy is gonna make it. We may be having a funeral soon! Stay tuned!