2010 in Review

This has quite possibly been the biggest year of our marriage! Here are the highlights:

• In April we graduated from BYU-Idaho
• We made our first big and semi-permanent move to Meridian, ID
• I got my first real full time job doing public relations for Scentsy
• In September Chris started his first semester of pharmacy school through Idaho State. The first year is supposed to be the hardest and he did wonderfully!
• In October we moved into our first house! We couldn't love it more!

More recently...

• I took a work trip to Toronto, Canada and to Ohio for work. Since I was already back east I took a few days and was able to visit my sister Traci and her family in New York! I hadn't seen them in 2 years! I cried at when I saw Traci at the airport! I couldn't believe what a baby I was being, but sometimes you forget how much you love your family and how important they are to you until you see them face to face. It was such a great trip!
• We are loving our new ward! Chris teaches the 14-15 year old Sunday school class and I teach the 4th Sunday (teaching for our times) Relief Society lesson. I was also on the "fruit basket committee" as I called it, literally that is what it was! haha! But unfortunately that ended with Christmas.
• We hosted our first Thanksgiving! It was chaotic but a success none the less.
• We were unable to go home to AZ for Christmas this year because the didn't want to face the scary roads and we waited too long to buy plane tickets before they were way out of our price range. This was my first Christmas away from home and family. I was sad about it at first, but the closer Christmas came the more fun and exciting it was to have our own little Christmas. We got a tree (fake, but with the Christmas Tree Scentsy Bar, who needs real? :) ), I stuffed our stockings and we got each other all sorts of fun gifts. It was a wonderful Christmas after all!
• I have had this week off of work for the holidays. It has been one of the best vacations ever! We have literally done nothing but lounge around in our PJs all day, eat, sleep and watch movies. I feel so well rested and refreshed and ready to take on a new year!

I can already tell 2011 is going to be full and eventful year! I cannot wait to see what life has in store for us! I am starting it with a bang thanks to work: I am going on a two week Scentsy tour of the Southern US. I will travel to Washington, Oregon, two cities in California, Nevada, Arizona and Texas in just two weeks for the Spring Sprint! It is sort of a traveling, mini, one day convention in each city. We will be traveling on these awesome decked out Scentsy RVs and will see thousands of Consultants along the way. Since I end in Texas, I'm going to fly home to AZ for a few days to see my family. Its gonna be fun!!

Happy New Year from us to you!

the small things

30 seconds ago...

Chris: "I'm gonna go get the mail...in my robe. HAHA! I've always wanted to do that!"

:)

White Coat Ceremony

Last night Chris took his first step to becoming a pharmacist with his white coat ceremony! Here he is signing the Pharmacy Code of Ethics... Here is the Meridian class (the other half of the class is in Pocatello)

And here we are! Doesn't he look so wise and professional in his white coat? I think his IQ went up just from putting it on!

Off to LA tomorrow for the Emmys! We'll talk soon!

Kodak moment

Chris and our sweet niece Lockly.

This photo was taken by an Idaho Statesman photographer at the Boise Race for the Cure earlier this month.

Did you hear about the Andrus's?

Here is what has been going on with us since we graduated...

I sent out half a dozen or so resumes to different places in Boise, mostly non-profits. I saw a position posted online for an Executive Assistant position with Scentsy. It was full-time, full-benefits and required a 4-year degree so I figures I may as well apply. Not 2 minutes after I sent my resume in Scentsy's HR department called. She said they were looking for someone with more assistant experience but they saw that my degree was in Communications and she asked if I wanted her to pass my resume along to their Communications department. I said, yes, sure, but wasn't really hopeful that anything would come of it because there weren't any comm positions posted. Well later that day she called me back and asked if I would do a breakfast interview with their Vice President of Communications. Um, yes please!

So we drove out to Boise the next day and stayed with Cody and Lyn (and their 4 sick babies!) The interview went really well and the boss man was super nice. I had another interview with a non-profit the next day which also went really well but I could tell that the job just wasn't for me.

While we were in Boise we also signed a lease on a new apartment! This place is a little smaller than what we're in now (square footage wise) but has a lot of great upgrades like stainless appliances, hardwood floors and a balcony (so of course Chris wants a grill now...)

So we came home and a day later I got a call from Scentsy offering me a job as a Public Relations Associate! Yay! I was so excited and feel so blessed. Jobs are hard to come by as it is, so to get a job offer less than a week after I graduate with a job in my field and with a company I actually want to work for... its amazing.

So while this is all happening we both got bad colds from our nieces and nephews we think. Since I was starting work on Monday I drove out on my own Sunday night (I know its only 4 1/2 hours away, but that's the longest I have driven alone and I was dang proud of myself !) Work was good, but I wasn't feeling fantastic, just achy and my nose was running like crazy. Well Tuesday morning I woke up and had NO VOICE and get this... PINK EYE!!

Of course this would happen to me on my second day of work in my first real job! Ah! So I tried calling in to HR to tell them but they couldn't even understand me because of my freaky voice so my BIL Cody talked to them. I got into a doctor in Meridian and he confirmed my virus and pink eye. He said I was very contagious and couldn't go back to work until Monday. GREAT.

So I drove back to Rexburg that night and Chris and I have been laying around sick ever since! I am actually starting to feel a lot better today (and my voice has more or less returned!) and so I've been working on getting us moved. The new tenants are moving into our apartment on Wednesday so Chris and his Dad are going to move us out on Tuesday. Unfortunately we can't get into our new place until the 7th! BOO. So we are will be bumming off family for a bit until then.

I'll be back to work Monday to give it another go. Wish us luck!

Wednesday Night Date

Chris and I had the funnest date on Wednesday! Since we are leaving Rexburg we wanted to use up all of the free things on our Starving Student Card. (and for those of you who don't know, a Starving Student Card is a card with tons of listings for discounts and buy-one-get-ones for local restaurants, retailers, activities, salons, etc.

Here is what we got for dinner... and yes, it was all absolutely FREE!

• Fries from Dairy Queen
• Fries from Arctic Circle
• Tater-tots from Sonic
• Chips and Salsa from Bajio
• Frozen Yogurt from Mill Hollow
• Frozen Custard from BRC
• A hand-made chocolate from Florence's
• Crazy Bread from Little Caesars
• A Lion House roll from Deseret Book

Yes, it was a little awkward just asking for the free stuff, but hey, you gotta do what you gotta do! :)

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BIG NEWS! Yesterday we found out that Chris was accepted into Idaho State University school of Pharmacy!!! Whoohoo!! **Tara doing a happy dance**

We are (obviously) thrilled!! I am so proud of Chris! The entrance process is based on a point system, so he not only had a high enough number to be admitted, but a high enough number to get his preference of location! So he will be attending the Meridian, ID campus which means we are moving to Boise!! in like a week too! ah!

So I am on the move trying to find us somewhere to live and sending out resumes! I will keep you updated on the move!

Graduating, Grad School, and Moving!

It feels like its been a while since I have written anything significant, plus I am tired of seeing that gum photo thing whenever I come to the blog... so here is an update for you!

• Chris is in the process of applying to pharmacy school at Idaho State. After sending in his transcripts, letters of recommendation, application and all that jazz, he was invited to interview! We were so excited that he made it through the first elimination. He interviewed on the 9th and now we are just waiting to hear the news! They said we should know the first week in April.
• Here are the numbers: 500-600 people apply, they interview around 160, and 70 get in. Of those 70, 75% are Idaho residents. So he made it through the largest cut, and being a resident is in our favor... fingers crossed!!!

• We are GRADUATING 3 weeks from today! I can't believe we are done! It doesn't feel real at all, its such a weird feeling knowing I will never take another class.
• Since we're graduating we are moving away from Rexburg! I feel so conflicted about this because I am ready to get be done and move on with life, but honestly this has been home for us the past 4 years, and the only place we have lived since being married (living out of hotels for 4 months in Louisiana doesn't count!) I have a feeling I am going to be very sad when we drive away for the last time.
• Rexburgians- we are selling our apartment contract! So if you are looking to move or know someone who is, let me know!!! Our apartment is less than a year old, has high ceilings, granite counter tops in the kitchen and bath and rent ($635) includes cable and Internet!! We really love our place and hate to move, but we have nothing holding us in Rexburg anymore.
• So yes, we're moving, but we don't know where to yet because of Pharm school! If he is accepted we will either be moving to Boise or somewhere between Pocatello and Idaho Falls (maybe Blackfoot?) and if he isn't accepted we might move to Boise or we might move back to Arizona! Its such a tough spot to be in right now because since we don't know where we are moving we can't look for housing, apply for jobs, or even transfer our mail!! I am such a planner so this is super hard for me!! I can't believe our future will be held in an envelope in our mailbox in 2 weeks!!! gah!!

I will keep you all posted with our plans as they happen in the next month!

Oh yeah, and I have lots of sewing/quilting projects in the works, so look forward to that too! :)

and for good measure, learn how to make Grandma Betty's Nacogdoches cake from last weeks Food Friday!!

P.S. I have already won two $5 Amazon gift cards from Swag Bucks and its been less than a month! If you want to do it click here and start with 30 free bucks!

Can't Live with him, can't live without him

I asked Chris to help me hang up some laundry and this is what I get...

100th POST!! and tofu!

This is my 100th post! How exciting is that?! It feels good to know I am documenting our lives, even if it is just to tell everyone that I creamed Chris in Monopoly...

So if you are friends with me on Facebook you may have seen this:

"Tara McBride Andrus does anyone have any good recipes for tofu?" (this is my status, and below are all of the comments)

Christopher Andrus
Take it out of the refrigerator, unwrap it, and then put it in the garbage disposal for 10 seconds on high, add a pinch of salt to flavor.

Jereme Conley
i agree with Chris on that one.

Heather Jewkes Kamer
I'm not sure good and tofu belong in the same sentence.....

Monica McBride
You guys are hilarious!! Tara I'm going to get you some recipes. I have a friend that is vegan! I'll write her and send it your way! I know it basically tastes like what you cook it in. Terryiaki is my favorite. You can make tofu scramble and it's like eggs... I'll let you know! I like tofu if its made right it's just a different texture...

Heather Stecker Andrus
LOL, Chris...are you related to my husband?

Um, excuse me? Why is Monica the only supportive one?? (Thanks Monica, by the way)

Chris had never even TRIED tofu and he just assumes its gross!

Well I have good news to share!

Last night while Chris was in class I made tofu peanut butter pie! (see recipe here)

When Chris got home I told him I made him a special treat! He was super excited to see a yummy dessert in the fridge! We each had a piece of pie after dinner-- and NO, I DIDN'T tell him what was in it.

He said he LOVED it!

WHAT?!

can I hear that again?!

he loved tofu?!

hahahaha... I felt so sneaky.

Well later in the night I did tell him what it was made of, he was shocked. He said there is no way he would admit it publicly, but he liked it!!!

Try it! Its was really good. Plus, tofu is so much better for you than the alternatives! I can't wait to try more tofu!

Monopoly

Back in the summer, Chris's brother Cody lent us his Monopoly game for X-Box. We LOVE it! We play at least 3 times a week...sometimes 3 times a day! I normally don't do very well (Chris is just super good at games) until now!

Check it out...

Chris is "Sumo Man" on the left (see his sumo character?) and I am that weird circle symbol on the right.

That's right! He had a pettily 2.22 million and I had 122.56 million!! Woohoo!

As my wonderful sister-in-law Monica would say, "Sucka-fish!"



:)

Grrrrr....

Around 7pm tonight Chris came home from work. I was surprised to see him because he was scheduled to work until 11 tonight. Well turns out he got sick and tossed his cookies while on the job. He told his supervisor what happened (and obviously that he needed to leave because he was feeling super nauseous still) and guess what happened?

They told him that if he left he would be written up!

Are you freaking kidding me?!

This is the same penalty for people who don't show up at all!

Do you want him to get sick all over the place?
Do you want him to get other people sick too?

This company makes me so mad I could scream.

Chris left anyway.
which is exactly what he should have done.

What kind of ridiculous company is this?? GAH!

lucky girl

Two posts in one day, imagine that!

As I was pulling into our parking space after school today I HIT THE BEAM that holds up the covered parking thingy, you know what I'm talking about?
I was horrified.
I checked it out, it dented the corner of the car pretty good and scraped some of the paint off...

Well, Chris was still in class so I had to sit and wait for him to get home to tell him. I felt so bad! This is the last thing we need right now. Chris eventually got home and I showed him, I was so afraid he was going to be upset.
I told him I was sorry and that it was an accident (obviously) and you know what he said?
"Its OK, I'm just glad you didn't get hurt!"

How sweet is that? He wasn't bothered by it at all!
I am so grateful for a sensible husband that (unlike me) doesn't get upset by things in the heat of the moment.
I know I am going to be blessed by this trait over and over again as things come up in our lives (like when our kids fall and break their arm and I will (undoubtedly) freak out, he will be the calm one who knows what to do and takes control.)

I am one lucky girl

Love you babe!